OLYMPICS

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many staff in her Office have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last five years.

Tessa Jowell: None.

Olympic Delivery Authority: Manpower

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many people were employed by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) at the most recent date for which figures are available; what the staffing costs of the ODA will be in 2008-09; and how many of the ODA's staff work on  (a) project management,  (b) legacy planning and  (c) financial oversight.

Tessa Jowell: As of 30 June 2008, the ODA employed 212 members of staff. This consists of permanent staff, fixed-term contract staff, and secondments. The overall management costs budget for 2008-09 is based on an ODA headcount of 276. The agreed total budget for ODA management costs for 2008-09 is £24,223,000. This budget has been set to cover salary costs, including employer national insurance contributions, employer pension contributions and bonus payments that are payable to eligible staff based on performance and achievement of overall objectives.
	The ODA currently has 128 members of staff working in project management roles across a number of ODA teams.
	The ODA is leading the first phase of legacy which is focused on cleaning, clearing, and creating the park and the development of new infrastructure, utilities, and venues. The second phase is led by the LDA and is focused on what the park is used for after the games. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of those ODA staff who are exclusively working on legacy planning roles as every project within the programme is considered with legacy in mind, ensuring that legacy requirements are incorporated into design briefs, specifications and business plans.
	The ODA currently has 15 employees working in the Finance and Business Planning Team who work closely with the delivery partner on the financial oversight of the programme. In addition the ODA has engaged Ernst and Young to provide an internal audit service.

Olympic Games

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 567-8W, on the Olympic games, what estimate he has made of the cost of Ministers from her Department and departmental officials attending the Beijing Olympic games.

Tessa Jowell: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, and travel by DCMS officials is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code, copies of which are available in the Library.
	I and my Private Secretary will be travelling to the Olympic games. The cost of my visit will be covered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by my hon. Friend the Minister for Sport.

Olympic Games 2012

Ben Chapman: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she plans to take to ensure that the 2012 Olympics have an effective economic and social legacy in all parts of the UK.

Tessa Jowell: In June this year we published the Legacy Action Plan (LAP) which sets out the long-term benefits we hope to stimulate through hosting the Olympic games and Paralympic games in 2012, and how we plan to achieve them. This is unprecedented as no other host city has ever been at this stage of planning, nor so committed to a broad and sustainable legacy, this early in preparations.
	The LAP sets out the Government's priorities for UK-wide legacy as defined by our five legacy promises, published in Our Promise for 2012 in June 2007. This includes a target to help get two million people more active through sport and physical activity by 2012. Sport England will seek to get one million more active through sport; they will do this through new engagement with national governing bodies and through county sport partnerships.
	Further to the announcement in June, Government have now set out further details of the £140 million cross-Government free swimming scheme. The scheme is designed to encourage as many local authorities as possible to participate in making swimming free for over-60s and under-16s in their local communities, but also to stimulate ambitious authorities to maximise and sustain uptake through other initiatives such as free lessons for adults who cannot swim, the introduction of swimming co-ordinators and to provide incentives for the most ambitious to move further towards a universal free swimming offer.
	The LAP also includes initiatives to stimulate economic and social benefit by increasing tourism and improving access to skills and business opportunities. This includes, for example, the London 2012 Business Network giving business across the UK access to the 75,000 contracts in the London 2012 supply chains worth £6 billion.
	Facilities in the London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide which will be published in Beijing will also have the opportunity to attract inward investment and showcase their local area on an international stage. UKTI are also developing programmes to use the games as a springboard for export.
	In addition to the LAP, each of the English regions and nations has its own plan for legacy initiatives at local level that complement this work.
	As Members of Parliament we should do everything we can in our constituencies to ensure that the opportunities and long-term benefits generated by the games are realised at local level across the UK.

Olympic Games 2012: Consultants

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much was paid to KPMG as Olympic advisers in each year since its contract began.

Tessa Jowell: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's sole contract with KPMG, to date, covered the period from October 2005 to July 2006 when KPMG were commissioned to review cost estimates for the 2012 Games. The cost of this contract was £1,190,000, inclusive of VAT.
	The Olympic Delivery Authority paid KPMG in 2006-07 £255,000, and in 2007-08 £1,585,000. Both figures are inclusive of VAT. The costs are attributed to the financial evaluation of tenders, financial support and advice.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Olympics when she next expects to make an announcement on Olympic funding; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I have no plans to make a further announcement on Olympic funding. The public sector funding provision for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games remains as set out in my statement to the House on 15 March 2007.

Olympic Games 2012: Police

Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Olympics when she will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for St Albans of 2 April 2008, on policing for the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

Tessa Jowell: A letter of response to the hon. Member for St. Albans will be sent shortly.

Olympic Games 2012: Transport

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many full-time equivalent members of staff in her Office are employed on work in relation to railways; how many of those work on  (a) project management,  (b) project oversight and  (c) financial oversight; and what plans she has for related future staffing levels.

Tessa Jowell: No members of staff in the Minister for the Olympics Office are employed on work in relation to railways.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  what measures are in place in his Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes;
	(2)  what purchasing process is used by his Department for the procurement of alcohol for hospitality purposes.

David Cairns: All Scotland Office expenditure, including all money spent on hospitality, is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on "Regularity and Propriety".

Departmental Appeals

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions his Department has instructed the Treasury Solicitor to seek leave to appeal to the House of Lords from  (a) the Court of Appeal and  (b) the House of Lords itself in each of the last 10 years; and on how many occasions the application was rejected.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since that date the Scotland Office has not instructed the Treasury Solicitor to seek leave to appeal to the House of Lords from  (a) the Court of Appeal and  (b) the House of Lords itself in any of the last 10 years.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what  (a) reviews and  (b) public consultations have been initiated by his Department since 27 June 2007.

David Cairns: Since 27 June 2007, the Scotland Office has undertaken one public consultation, "Sorting the Ballot".

Departmental Responsibilities

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which projects his Department has commissioned from  (a) think tanks and  (b) charities in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what the aim of each project was; which think tank or charity was commissioned; and how much was paid.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office, along with the Wales Office and Ministry of Justice, is funding a series of reports on devolution from University College, London. The Scotland Office has agreed to contribute £25,000 over three years towards this work.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Conferences

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 919W, on departmental conferences, when he expects to publish information on official and charity receptions for 2007-08.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made today.

Departmental Databases

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister what UK Government databases may be accessed by third parties, following Commission Decision 2008/291/EC, OJ L98 of 10 April 2008; what statutory safeguards exist for personal privacy; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what UK Government databases may be accessed by third parties following Commission Decision (EC) 2008/291, and what statutory safeguards exist for personal privacy. (217983)
	Commission Decision (EC) No 2008/291 updates the list of scientific research institutions that have passed statutory checks for their competence to carry out research using certain statistical datasets held by Eurostat, the statistical office of the Commission.
	The statistical sources that may be accessed by researchers in admissible institutions are listed in Commission Regulation (EC) No 831/2002 (as amended):
	European Community Household Panel (ECHP)
	Labour Force Survey (LFS)
	Community Innovation Survey (CIS)
	Continuing Vocational Training Survey
	Structure of Earnings Survey (SES)
	European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC)
	Adult Education Survey
	Farm Structure Survey
	The UK contributes data to each of these sources. At present only ECHP, LFS, CIS, EU-SILC, and SES micro-datasets have an agreed anonymisation standard and available in that form for research use. Eurostat and member states are working on an anonymisation design for the other sources. The anonymisation standards are equivalent to the standard ONS uses for the datasets it places for research use through the UK Data Archive at Essex University.
	Researchers in admissible institutions may be provided with data when the statutory safeguards in Commission Regulation (EC) No 831/2002 are met. This requires the researcher to submit a detailed written request setting out the research proposal. The UK authority that contributed data to the source must be informed of the request, and can withhold permission for its data to be provided.
	A contract with Eurostat must be in place that specifies the research purpose and the necessary organisational and technical measures to keep the data secure. The data provided are also protected by the statutory prohibitions on disclosure in Chapter V of Council Regulation (EC) 322/97.

Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2008,  Official Report, column 247 to the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe, how many of the three million people to whom he referred are  (a) UK citizens and  (b) non-UK citizens.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the information produced by the Office for National Statistics which shows that 2.9 million more people are in work since 1997:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/LMS_FR_HS/WebTable01.xls

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Church of England: Property

Gordon Prentice: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners under what conditions bishops and clergy of the Church of England occupy episcopal and parish property for which the Church Commissioners are responsible; whether bishops and clergy are required to abide by the provisions of Church of England Measures to use such property; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Bell: Diocesan bishops occupy see houses under licence from the Church Commissioners who have the power, under section 3 of the Episcopal Endowments and Stipends Measure 1943, to house diocesan bishops.
	Refusal to abide by Church of England Measures would be a matter of clergy discipline, which is not the responsibility of the Commissioners.
	The Commissioners are not responsible for parish property occupied by clergy or property occupied by suffragan bishops.

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many home information packs have been commissioned by the Church Commissioners or its representatives to market a residential property; for which properties; at what cost; and whether a voluntary home condition report was purchased as part of the packs.

Stuart Bell: Home information packs have been provided by the Church Commissioners in relation to 143 The Quadrangle Tower, London W2 (at a cost of £359.65), 114 The Quadrangle Tower, London W2 (at a cost of £347.65), and Flat 4 Devonport, London W2 (at a cost of £359.65).
	In all three cases the Commissioners did not purchase the voluntary home condition report.

Monuments: Inspections

Bob Neill: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance provided by the Council for the Care of Churches on approaches to the inspection of memorials.

Stuart Bell: A copy of the guidance from the Council will be placed in the Library on 22 July 2008.

Redundant Churches

Bob Neill: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many Church of England churches in England have been taken out of use for worship in each year since 1997.

Stuart Bell: The numbers of Church of England churches in England closed for regular public worship in each year since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			   Churches closed for regular public worship 
			 1997 24 
			 1998 28 
			 1999 20 
			 2000 16 
			 2001 16 
			 2002 34 
			 2003 33 
			 2004 31 
			 2005 9 
			 2006 21 
			 2007 29

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Cromwell Green

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cotswold of 23 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2046W, on the Cromwell Green entrance, whether the Commission has now considered the review of lessons learned from the visitor reception building project; and if he will make a statement on its main findings.

Nick Harvey: The independent post-project review of the Cromwell Green visitor reception building, undertaken by Roy Davis Associates LLP, has now been received by the Clerk of the House. It was reported to the Commission at its recent meeting, and will be reported to the House of Lords House Committee in October.
	The review presents a thorough analysis of the project. The Cromwell Green entrance opened on 21 April 2008 and has been operating successfully since as an important enhancement of visitor reception at Westminster. But its construction was subject to exceptional delay and significant cost overruns. The main findings of the review are:
	until autumn 2007 the governance of the project was poor, and it is questionable whether the Houses were advised in sufficient detail to make balanced decisions;
	the initial project delivery date of September 2006 drove the project but was not achievable;
	once on site, delays occurred due to the complexity and uniqueness of the design, the fact that it was incomplete and uncoordinated, which required it to be extensively reworked during construction, and the lack of resolution of critical issues;
	the requirements of major parts of the project brief were ignored;
	the management of the design and the construction was undermined by the split responsibilities of project managers and the lack of ownership of the project; and
	both the cost management and advice and the procurement and production of contracts for consultants and the contractor were poor.
	The repeatedly escalating costs and continued slippages in this project have raised serious questions about project management competences in the House service. A number of key steps have already been taken. As part of a reorganisation following the review by Sir Kevin Tebbit it was decided to create a reunified Parliamentary Estates Directorate and recruit senior managers with appropriate skills. The Directorate is now under the direct responsibility of a Director General of Facilities. As part of their recruitment, both new postholders have been required to demonstrate competence, and personal track records of delivery, in the areas of estates and works matters.
	Further improvements relating to transparency and control of projects are under way, and these will take account of recommendations for future practice from the post-project review. The Commission will receive a progress report from the Clerk of the House in the autumn on the establishment of the revised management arrangements and the effectiveness of the new controls over projects. It supports the Clerk of the House in his determination to ensure that full lessons are learned from this major failure in project management.
	A copy of the post-project review has been placed in the Library and on the parliamentary website.

Detergents: Animal Experiments

Steve Webb: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the House's policy is on the purchase of cleaning products that have been tested on animals.

Nick Harvey: The House of Commons does not have a policy on cleaning products being tested on animals. The specification for the new parliamentary cleaning contract requires that all materials and chemicals used must minimise environmental impact and be fit for the purpose intended. The safest possible product is to be used.

Portcullis House

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many basins there are in Portcullis House; and how many of them do not have plugs.

Nick Harvey: Portcullis House has 112 basins in lavatories, bathrooms and tea points. A survey on 17 July found that four plugs were missing. Work is in hand to replace them. Included in this number are 20 wash basins in accessible lavatories which, by design, do not have plugs.

Redundancy pay

Lynne Jones: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what redundancy package is available for  (a) Officers of the House and  (b) other staff of the House; what the reasons are for the provisions of each; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: No redundancies are currently contemplated, nor have there been any redundancies in recent years. Were redundancies to be necessary, the packages available are the same as those available to the civil service under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, which are set out on the civil service pensions website:
	www.civilservice-pensions.gov.uk/scheme_information/cscs.aspx
	The terms are the same for Officers of the House and other staff.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Christine Drury

Mark Hoban: To ask the Solicitor-General where Christine Drury's desk is located; and whether she is paid from the public purse.

Vera Baird: Christine Drury does not work in the Attorney-General's Office or in any of the superintended departments.

Civil Service Agencies: Public Appointments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list the appointments made to agencies for which the Attorney-General is responsible since 27 June 2007.

Vera Baird: Since 27 June 2007 the Attorney-General has appointed the director of the Serious Fraud Office.

Departmental Delivery Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps the Attorney-General's Office has taken to monitor the cost of its mail services in the last 12 months.

Vera Baird: The Attorney-General's Office are in the process of reviewing our post room services. This includes usage of Royal Mail services, DX membership, Government Car Despatch Agency's Government mail service (formerly IDS) and our messengers' hand delivery services in order to achieve greater efficiency and savings.

Departmental Procurement

David Simpson: To ask the Solicitor-General what the Attorney-General's Office's policy is on requesting discounts from its suppliers in return for swift payment of invoices.

Vera Baird: The Government's policy is to pay all undisputed invoices promptly. The Department is covered by this policy. The Department aims to secure good value for money from all of its suppliers and our commitment to prompt payment is one of the factors that allows us to negotiate competitive prices. We do not seek additional discounts for making payments swiftly and in compliance with Government policy.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Solicitor-General how many and what percentage of staff in the Attorney-General's Office have had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days in each of the last three years.

Vera Baird: The number and percentage of staff who have had more than two periods of sickness of less than five days is illustrated in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of staff  Percentage of staff 
			 2007-08 3 15.3 
			 2006-07 3 14.7 
			 2005-06 3 13.7

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Solicitor-General how many staff in her Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last five years.

Vera Baird: There have been less than five staff who fall into this category, therefore this information cannot be provided on grounds of confidentiality.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Labour Party: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Electoral Commission plans to publish, or otherwise make available for independent scrutiny, the accounts submitted by the Labour party for 2007.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that as required by section 46 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act 2000, the Electoral Commission makes all statements of accounts available for public inspection. Statements of accounts for 2007 submitted by parties with income or expenditure over £250,000, including the Labour party, are due to be published on the Commission's website on 30 July 2008.

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what procedures are followed by the Electoral Commission in circumstances where a party is unable to submit signed-off accounts demonstrating its financial validity as a going concern; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Viggers: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 requires registered parties to submit an annual statement of accounts to the Electoral Commission. Where the gross income or total expenditure of the registered party during the period of those accounts exceeds £250,000, that statement of accounts must be submitted within six months of the party's financial year end, and must be audited by a qualified auditor. The legislation provides for civil penalties where these requirements are not met and a failure to comply may also give rise to a criminal offence.
	The Electoral Commission informs me that it reviews all statements of accounts, publishes them on its website and pursues the penalties provided for in cases where the requirements have been breached. The Electoral Commission further informs me that it publishes guidance for parties on preparing their statements of accounts. This guidance is available on the Commission's website at
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/_data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0014/13460/Draftguidance_21211-8865_E_N_S_W_.pdf

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Electoral Commission has produced guidance on the declaration of donations and sponsorship by trade unions by declared electoral candidates outside of election periods.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has published 'Donations and loans: guidance for regulated donees in Great Britain'. Regulated donees include members of registered political parties who receive donations for their use and benefit in connection with their political activities, such as campaigning outside the relevant regulated period. This guidance covers the reporting of all donations from all permissible donors, including trade unions.

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 1309-10W, on political parties: finance, on what dates the Electoral Commission met the Secretary of State for Justice to discuss the White Paper on party finance and expenditure ahead of its publication.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the chairman of the Commission, Sam Younger, and Commission officials met with the Secretary of State for Justice on 12 November 2007 and 14 April 2008. A range of matters were discussed regarding party and election finance, some of which are addressed by the Government's White Paper, "Party finance and expenditure in the United Kingdom".

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission pursuant to the publication of the White Paper on party finance and expenditure, when the Electoral Commission plans to consult on guidance on the new triggering rules.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it will consult on any guidance relating to new provisions proposed in the Political Parties and Elections Bill after the Bill has been passed by both Houses of Parliament.

Political Parties: Finance

Roger Berry: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission 
	(1)  which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2001;
	(2)  which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2002;
	(3)  which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2003;
	(4)  which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2004;
	(5)  which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2005;
	(6)  which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2006;
	(7)  which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in 2007;
	(8)  which donations to regulated donees entered on the Commission's register pursuant to Section 69 and Schedule 7 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 were registered after the statutory deadline in January 2008.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has retained most original hard copies of donation returns from regulated donees from 2001 onwards and all original hard copies of donation returns from regulated donees from 2007 onwards. On the basis of available returns, a copy of the information sought by the hon. Member has been placed in the Library and has been made available on the Commission's website:
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of the Government's new reconstruction unit are based in Helmand province.

Douglas Alexander: Stabilisation Unit staff are currently located in Helmand. For security reasons, Stabilisation Unit does not publish exact details of the number and location of its staff in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the foundation stone for the new mosque in Musa Qala will be laid; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Work has already begun on the new mosque in Musa Qala. DFID is providing support through the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development.
	The Governor of Helmand province will lay the foundation stone when he next visits. The exact date for the visit is still to be confirmed.

Africa: Children

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to increase the protection of vulnerable children in Africa.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government remain firmly committed to tackling child vulnerability in Africa, including those affected by HIV/AIDS. Over the last three years the Department for International Development (DFID) has provided over £120 million for support of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Africa. This includes supporting National Plans of Action for OVC and expanding support for the needs of the most vulnerable children in health, education, social protection and HIV prevention and treatment programmes.
	Over the next three years, the UK Government will expand their social protection programmes and increase spending to over £200 million. DFID will work in at least eight African countries to develop social protection policies and programmes, with Governments and NGOs that provide effective predictable support for the most vulnerable households—ensuring access to social services and protection from abuse. DFID will also work with others to provide better diagnostics and treatment of children infected with HIV and living with AIDS. A copy of the updated strategy 'Achieving Universal Access—the UK's strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world' and supporting evidence paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. These are also available on the DFID website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	DFID's broader health sector initiatives all benefit vulnerable children, particularly in Africa. These include support (£30 million for 2006-8) to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), a long-term (20 year) £1.38 billion commitment to the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm), $485 million in support of drug development incentives by the pilot Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) for pneumococcal vaccines and support of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) where DFID has made an unprecedented long-term commitment, subject to performance, of up to £1 billion between 2008-15.

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures are in place in his Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Shahid Malik: All entertainment and hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money. Financial control is managed through delegation to Heads of Department who are responsible for their respective budgets. Further controls are exercised through sample spot checks of expenditure undertaken by DFID's Accounts Group.

Departmental Home Working

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's work force worked from home in whole or in part in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: DFID does not keep central records of the number of home workers, or the proportion of working time that is carried out from home. Arrangements for home working are agreed informally between line managers and individuals. 1,798 of our 2,467 employees (73 per cent.) have been issued with laptop computers rather than a desk-top computer. This allows them to work from home on a regular or ad hoc basis.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the change in the number of employees in his Department has been since July 2006.

Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) submits quarterly returns on our Home Civil Service (HCS) staffing numbers, to the Office for National Statistics.
	DFID also employs staff appointed in country (SAIC) recruited locally to work in our network of over 50 offices overseas on local terms and conditions of service.
	Details of our HCS and SAIC staff numbers, showing the separate and overall comparisons between the end of June 2006 and end of June 2008, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Headcount at end of June 2006  Full-Time equivalent( 1)  posts at end of June 2006  Headcount at end of June 2008  Full-time equivalent( 1 ) posts at end of June 2008  Net change in headcount  Percentage change in headcount  Net change in numbers of full-time equivalent( 1)  posts  Percentage change in numbers of full-time equivalent( 1)  posts 
			 Home Civil (HCS) staff numbers 1,817 1,768 1,653 1,606 -164 -9 -162 -9.2 
			 Staff Appointed in country (SAIC) numbers 899 893 799 795 -100 -11.1 -98 -11 
			 Overall total 2,716 2,661 2,452 2,401 -264 -9.7 -260 -9.8 
			 (1) DFID reports HCS staffing numbers to Office for National Statistics using Full-Time equivalent (FTE) figures. Full-Time equivalent takes account of the specific work patterns of each individual e.g. an individual who works 0.5 of a full-time schedule is only counted as 0.5 for the purposes of FTE. For comparison purposes, headcount is where each individual is counted as 1 regardless of their actual hours worked.

Departmental Pay

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of staff of his Department and its agencies did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them in the last two years. [Official Report, 22 January 2009, Vol. 486, c. 9MC.]

Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) operates two separate bonus schemes.
	The first is an established bonus scheme for members of the senior civil service (SCS). Bonuses are awarded at three different levels (high, medium or no bonus award). The proportion of SCS members who did not receive the high level (or maximum) bonus in each of the last two years was as follows:
	
		
			   SCS staff not receiving a maximum bonus 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 2006-07 67 out of 87 77 
			 2007-08 60 out of 82 73 
		
	
	The second performance bonus scheme is for home civil service staff (HCS) below the SCS. The HCS bonus scheme was introduced under the 2007 pay deal for HCS staff and will come into effect in the 2008-09 performance appraisal year.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what training courses were  (a) available to and  (b) taken up by civil servants in his Department in the last 12 months.

Shahid Malik: Reporting which training courses were  (a) available to and  (b) taken by civil servants in the Department for International Department in the last 12 months would incur disproportionate cost, since the majority of training activity is arranged by sub-departments and overseas offices.
	Courses which have been provided centrally include Leadership and Management Development, Negotiating and Influencing, Working with Ministers, Induction and Health and Safety.

Developing Countries: Food

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of long-term trends in food prices; and what assessment he has made of their effects on the developing world.

Douglas Alexander: The UK Government have been working closely with the major international organisations (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, UN agencies and International Food Policy Research Institute) in order to assess future price trends and cereal production. Increased cereal production and the removal of export bans have brought about a calming of markets, and prices have fallen back from the very high levels seen earlier this year. But the consensus remains that the underlying demand for food remains strong, and this is likely to keep prices high for some years yet, with the trend price for grains stabilising at around 10-25 per cent. higher than 2001 levels.
	Many countries have experienced serious social and economic consequences of the recent surge in food prices, aggravated by similar movement in fuel prices. The macroeconomic impact on developing countries varies according to the degree of dependency on food and fuel imports. Some countries (e.g. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Mozambique) are experiencing significant food price rises; some (e.g. Kenya and Zanzibar) are experiencing clear food shortages; countries in West Africa (e.g. Nigeria and Niger) are heavily affected due to their reliance on imports from international markets; some (Malawi and Zambia) are relatively insulated from global price movements, while others (e.g. Vietnam) are benefiting. The poorest are hardest hit, with some families spending up to 90 per cent. of their income on food. The UK Government are pressing for a global partnership to address both the short term impact of surging food prices, and the longer term challenges of promoting food security for the 850 million people who continue to face hunger.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans there are to meet the global target of universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention.

Gillian Merron: I refer my hon. Friend to the written parliamentary statement made on 2 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 42-44WS.
	A copy of the updated strategy 'Achieving Universal Access—the UK's strategy for halting and reversing the spread of HIV in the developing world' and supporting evidence paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. These are also available on the Department for International Development (DFID) website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what proportion of staff in his Department are disabled; and what the average salary in his Department is of  (a) full-time disabled staff,  (b) full-time non-disabled staff,  (c) part-time disabled staff and  (d) part-time non-disabled staff.

Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development (DFID) employed 1,653 Home Civil Service (HCS) staff at the end of June 2008. Of these 58 have declared a disability. This represents 3.5 per cent. of the total. Average salaries are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Category  Number of DFID HCS staff in post  Average salary (£) 
			  (a) Full-time disabled staff 54 30,113 
			  (b) Full-time non-disabled staff 1,459 38,488 
			  (c) Part-time disabled staff 4 15,631 
			  (d) Part-time non-disabled staff 136 22,665

Kosovo

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's budget is for expenditure in Kosovo on  (a) staffing and other operational costs of the post,  (b) technical assistance to (i) the Government of Kosovo and (ii) non-governmental organisations working in Kosovo,  (c) budgetary support for (i) the Government of Kosovo, (ii) non-governmental bodies working in Kosovo and  (d) other international bodies operating in Kosovo in 2008-09.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has an administration budget of £450,000 for its office in Kosovo in 2008-09. This excludes the cost of some staff who are based in London but provide support to DFID offices across the Western Balkans region, including Kosovo.
	The budget for programme activities in Kosovo in 2008-09 is £8.8 million. This includes resources for the Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP) (£3.8 million) which is managed jointly by DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
	DFID provides assistance to the Government of Kosovo in the form of technical assistance. No decision has yet been taken on providing budget support in Kosovo. The CPP provides assistance for non-governmental organisations in the form of grants and for international organisations including NATO. We intend to provide £3.8 million for the NATO Trust Fund for Demobilisation with Dignity of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC) through the CPP.

Kosovo: Overseas Aid

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the outcomes were of the donors' conference for Kosovo held on 11 July; and what his Department's policy objectives are for its engagement with the Republic of Kosovo.

Douglas Alexander: The conclusions from the 11 July Kosovo Donors' Conference are available on the following website at:
	http://www.seerecon.org/kdc/conclusions.pdf
	The UK's objective in Kosovo is to support the development of a prosperous, stable, democratic and multi-ethnic state. Within this objective, DFID's priorities in Kosovo are to promote improved economic growth and employment, reduce the risk of conflict, and support the development of accountable Government institutions.

Kosovo: Overseas Aid

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in what areas the Government of the Republic of Kosovo have requested assistance from his Department in the last 12 months.

Douglas Alexander: The Government of Kosovo have outlined their policy priorities for the next three years and their requirements for donor assistance in their Medium-term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). This document was presented at the 11 July Kosovo Donors' Conference. The UK has pledged £23 million to support Kosovo over the next three years. We will align our support with the priorities in Kosovo's MTEF and are actively encouraging all other donors to do likewise.

Land Mines

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what mine harvesting projects his Department is funding in  (a) Afghanistan,  (b) Cambodia and  (c) Yemen;
	(2)  what mine harvesting projects his Department is funding in Afghanistan.

Gillian Merron: Since 2001, the Department for International Development (DFID) has spent over £10 million per year to clear and reduce the impact of land mines, cluster munitions and other unexploded remnants of war in developing countries around the world.
	 (a) In Afghanistan, DFID is providing £10.6 million over the next five years to the charity HALO Trust to clear land mines and other unexploded ordnance in Herat Province, in order to return land back to productive use for the poor and vulnerable.
	 (b) In Cambodia, DFID funds demining work through the charities HALO Trust and Mines Advisory Group (MAG). HALO Trust's programme will amount to around £3 million over the three years 2007-10, and the MAG programme will be around £1.5 million for the same period. Both organisations work to reduce the impact of mines on the most vulnerable and affected communities, with HALO focusing on large-scale humanitarian clearance and MAG linking closely to other development programmes.
	 (c) DFID does not currently fund any demining projects in Yemen.

Nigeria: Armed Conflict

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has for the provision of aid to the Government of Nigeria to help deal with unrest in the Niger Delta region.

Douglas Alexander: It is important that any security improvements in the Niger Delta are made in the context of a wider peace process that includes improved development and better governance. The Department for International Development (DFID) stands ready to assist the State Governments of the Niger Delta region to better manage their substantial resources for the good of their people. This would reduce unrest by ensuring that citizens of the Niger Delta saw some benefits from their region's oil wealth.
	Progress can only be made with genuine State Government commitment to efficiently manage their resources and use them to provide good quality services for their people. Once this commitment has been demonstrated, DFID would seek to agree any further support to the Niger Delta with other international partners, including the US Government, the World Bank, the European Commission and the UN.

Nigeria: Armed Conflict

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian implications of the breakdown of the ceasefire between the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta and the Nigerian Government.

Douglas Alexander: The humanitarian situation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is already serious, with high levels of violence and insecurity, and very little provision of basic social services. Department for International Development (DFID) staff are unable to travel to the Niger Delta for security reasons, so we have been unable to make a direct assessment of the current humanitarian situation. DFID is in regular contact with the Office for Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), Save the Children (SCF) and Oxfam, and none of them reported any change to the humanitarian situation in the Niger Delta.
	The recent breakdown of the two-week Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) cease fire will have done nothing to improve the situation in the Niger Delta. The UK remains committed to helping the Nigerian Government work towards a peaceful and sustainable solution to the underlying causes of instability in the region.

Nigeria: Overseas Aid

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Foreign Secretary and  (b) the Secretary of State for Defence on possible assistance to the Nigerian Government.

Douglas Alexander: I most recently discussed possible assistance to the Nigerian Government with the Foreign Secretary and the Minister of State for the Armed Forces at the meeting of the Ministerial Committee on National Security, International Relations and Development (NSID) sub-committee on Africa held on Tuesday 15 July. We agreed that we would stand ready to offer further assistance to the Nigerian Federal Government and the State Governments of the Niger Delta in the areas of peace-building, security, development and improved governance. The Prime Minister conveyed this message to President Yar'Adua of Nigeria when they met on Wednesday 16 July.

Somalia: Asylum

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the security situation in Somalia on humanitarian agencies' ability to access refugee camps; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The security situation in Somalia is deteriorating, with ongoing fighting in Mogadishu continuing to cause displacement of the population and the loss of lives. The UK Government continue to monitor the situation closely through our partners on the ground and, security permitting, visits by our staff.
	Humanitarian agencies are still able to access refugee camps but under great risk. The UK Government deplore the recent escalation in the killing of aid workers. An immediate cessation of all hostilities is needed in order to allow relief agencies to meet critical humanitarian needs.

Somalia: Food Aid

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to provide food aid to Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The humanitarian situation in many parts of Somalia has significantly deteriorated not only due to ongoing fighting but to drought, uncontrolled hyperinflation and a broad economic crisis. The Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU) estimates that 2.6 million Somalis (approximately 35 per cent. of the population) will require relief assistance in 2008.
	Since January 2008 the Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £17.9 million for humanitarian assistance to the worst affected areas. This includes £12 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) who are distributing more than 15,000 metric tonnes of food aid a month, and a further £1.4 million to UNICEF and World Vision for emergency nutrition projects in South Central Somalia.
	DFID continues to advocate for the safe passage of all humanitarian goods and aid workers in Somalia.

Somalia: Food Aid

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make representations to his international counterparts on the deployment of naval ships to escort food aid shipments to Somalia.

Gillian Merron: The UK Government are working with EU partners to consider future deployments of naval ships.
	Since December 2007 the French, Danish and Dutch military forces have escorted over 70,000 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid to Somalia. Consignments included relief materials for UNICEF and UNHCR in addition to WFP food aid.

Swaziland: Elections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to support multi-party democracy in Swaziland in preparation for elections in October.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	Our non-resident high commissioner and deputy high commissioner to Swaziland have raised the issue of multi-party elections in that country frequently, over the last year, with a range of figures including the King, politicians, civil servants, civil society groups and others. The Government will be giving £230,000 this year to fund the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa to train a pan-African parliamentary observer mission to all the Southern African Development Community countries holding elections in 2008-09, which includes the election in Swaziland.

Swaziland: HIV Infection

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of HIV prevalence in Swaziland.

Gillian Merron: The Department for International Development's (DFID) assessment of HIV prevalence in Swaziland is based on data from UNAIDS, whose mandate is to monitor HIV prevalence. UNAIDS' latest statistics show that HIV prevalence rates in Swaziland are among the highest in the world, but are improving. The current estimate of infection rates for those aged between 15 to 49 years is 26 per cent., compared to 33 per cent. in 2005. Further information is available on the UNAIDS website:
	www.unaids.org

Swaziland: Trade Unions

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Government of Swaziland on restrictions on trades unions in that country.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	Our non-resident Mission to Swaziland, based in Pretoria, has a regular programme of quarterly visits to the Kingdom. Our non-resident deputy high commissioner, at her last visit in May, met with a wide range of Government, Opposition, non-governmental and other civil society figures. Her discussions focused on our support for multi-party elections and the implementation of a constitution which, if implemented, would enhance workers' rights and benefit trade unions.

UN Women's Agency

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the creation of a UN Women's Agency; and what steps his Department has taken to implement this policy.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development agrees that the UN needs a single, strong agency for women that combines the different parts of the UN system that are working to enhance the status of women. We are closely involved in discussions within the UN system on the way forward.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe.

Douglas Alexander: We have not recently discussed humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe directly with Commissioner Michel, but our officials and those of the European Commission co-ordinate closely as a matter of course, both in Brussels and Harare, on humanitarian aid and development issues in Zimbabwe

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Abandoned Vehicles

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the implementation of the EU end of life vehicles directive on trends in the levels of abandonment of vehicles manufactured before July 2002.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of vehicles of all ages being abandoned is one of several indicators monitored by the Department since implementing the end-of-life vehicles directive. We believe that a combination of factors has contributed to the significant reduction in the numbers of abandoned vehicles recorded in recent years. Those factors include the introduction of the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 and the End-of-Life Vehicles (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005, improvements in the accuracy of the vehicle register, various Government and local campaigns to tackle abandonment, and the continuing high value of scrap metal. It is difficult to isolate the individual impact of any one of these factors.

Agriculture: Land

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average cost of a hectare or equivalent measure of farmland according to the Farm Business Survey was in each year for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: While the Farm Business Survey does collect a level of information on farm balance sheets, the better measure of the value of farmland over time is provided by the aggregate balance sheet published in "Agriculture in the United Kingdom".
	The aggregate balance sheet shows the value of fixed assets at a point in time (December each year) and the value of liabilities at a point in time. Fixed assets are dominated by land. As the volume of land is virtually unchanging, the trend in the value of land and buildings is dominated by the effect of land prices. Estimates of the value of land and buildings from the latest balance sheet are given in the table below and show the value of UK agricultural land and buildings has increased by 40 per cent. at current prices, between 2003 and 2006.
	
		
			  Value of UK agricultural land and buildings 
			  As at December each year  £ billion 
			 1993 50.7 
			 1994 56.3 
			 1995 67.9 
			 1996 77.4 
			 1997 84.0 
			 1998 87.1 
			 1999 93.1 
			 2000 94.7 
			 2001 97.7 
			 2002 96.9 
			 2003 102.2 
			 2004 111.5 
			 2005 121.6 
			 2006(1) 142.7 
			 (1) Provisional  Source: Agriculture in the UK

Air Pollution

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes have been made to his Department's air quality monitoring programme in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA and the devolved Administrations reviewed air quality monitoring needs in the light of the 2007 Air Quality Strategy and new EU Air Quality Directive requirements and improvements in the concentrations of some pollutants.
	As a result some new sites/monitors have been brought into the network or installed, while others have been removed from the network or closed. The changes to the Automatic Urban and Rural and Hydrocarbons networks fall into three broad areas:
	A reduction in the number of carbon monoxide (from 79 to 26) and sulphur dioxide (from 76 to 48) monitors, commensurate with the generally low levels of both pollutants currently found. However, there will be increased sulphur dioxide monitoring in some areas around particular industrial hotspots.
	Movement of oxides of nitrogen monitors from agglomerations to zones, and from urban background to roadside, in line with the requirements of the new air quality Directive.
	The creation of a ultrafine particulate matter (PM2.5) network, and changes to the fine particulate matter (PM10) network, in line with the requirements of the new air quality Directive.

Air Pollution

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of his Department's air quality monitoring sites have been closed in each of the last three years; and how many air quality monitoring sites have been opened in that period, broken down by region.

Jonathan R Shaw: The number of air quality monitoring sites which have been closed and opened in 2005, 2006 and 2007, broken down by zone and agglomeration are shown in the following table. Data are included from the following monitoring networks: automatic urban and rural network; automatic and non-automatic hydrocarbon networks; black smoke network; heavy metals network; particle numbers and concentrations network; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and toxic organic micro pollutants networks; and the acid deposition and rural sulphur dioxide network.
	Agglomerations are continuous urban areas with populations greater than 250,000. Zones in England are based on the Government office regions and in the devolved Administrations are based on administrative areas.
	
		
			  Number of air quality monitoring sites which have closed and opened in each zone and agglomeration during 2005-07 
			   2007  2006  2005 
			  Zone/agglomeration  Closed( 1)  Opened( 1)  Closed( 1)  Opened( 1)  Closed( 1)  Opened( 1) 
			 Greater London Urban Area 11 2 — — — — 
			 West Midlands Urban Area 3 2 — — — — 
			 Greater Manchester Urban Area 3 — — 1 — — 
			 West Yorkshire Urban Area 3 3 — — — — 
			 Tyneside 1 — — — — — 
			 Liverpool Urban Area — — — — — — 
			 Sheffield Urban Area 1 — — — — — 
			 Nottingham Urban Area — 1 — — — — 
			 Bristol Urban Area — — — — — — 
			 Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton 2 — — — — — 
			 Leicester Urban Area — — — — — — 
			 Portsmouth Urban Area 1 — — — — — 
			 Teesside Urban Area — — — — — — 
			 The Potteries — — — 1 — — 
			 Bournemouth Urban Area 1 — — — — — 
			 Reading/Wokingham Urban Area 1 — — — — — 
			 Coventry/Bedworth — — — — — — 
			 Kingston upon Hull — — — — — — 
			 Southampton Urban Area — — — — — — 
			 Birkenhead Urban Area — — — — — — 
			 Southend Urban Area — — — — — — 
			 Blackpool Urban Area — — — — — — 
			 Preston Urban Area — — — — — — 
			 Glasgow Urban Area 2 — — 1 — — 
			 Edinburgh Urban Area 1 — — 1 — — 
			 Cardiff Urban Area 1 — — — — — 
			 Swansea Urban Area 2 3 — — — — 
			 Belfast Urban Area 4 1 1 1 — — 
			 Eastern 2 1 — 1 1 — 
			 South West — 1 — — 1 — 
			 South East — 2 1 — 4 — 
			 East Midlands — — — — — — 
			 North West and Merseyside — — — — 1 — 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 1 3 — — 4 — 
			 West Midlands — — — — 1 1 
			 North East 2 2 1 1 1 — 
			 Central Scotland — — — 2 2 — 
			 North East Scotland — — — — 2 — 
			 Highland — — — 2 5 1 
			 Scottish Borders — — — — 1 — 
			 South Wales 3 2 — — 3 — 
			 North Wales — — — 1 2 — 
			 Northern Ireland — 1 — 1 2 — 
			 Total 45 24 3 13 30 2 
			 (1) A monitoring site which is in more than one network is counted for each network, for example, the closure of Bradford Centre in West Yorkshire urban area in 2007 is counted separately for the automatic urban and rural network and the black smoke network. Site relocations within the same zone or agglomeration have not been included.

Biofuels

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps he has taken to increase capacity for the production of biogas through industrial anaerobic digestion technologies.

Joan Ruddock: The Government are committed to making the most of the potential of anaerobic digestion. It supports our objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, generating renewable energy, and diverting organic material, especially food waste, from landfill. In addition, the treated material—the 'digestate'—can be returned to the land as a fertiliser.
	The consultation on the UK Renewable Energy Strategy, which was published on 26 June 2008 (available on the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's website), sets out the steps we are proposing to help promote anaerobic digestion. Specific support includes the Bioenergy Capital Grants Scheme, which supports the installation of biomass-fuelled heat and combined heat and power projects in the industrial, commercial and community sectors in England. We have also recently announced a new £10 million programme to support the construction of new anaerobic digestion demonstration plants, and we are doubling the incentive to generate energy through AD by changes to the renewables obligation. In addition, the Rural Development Programme for England provides support to develop energy projects or small scale on-farm renewable energy technologies (including anaerobic digestion).
	We are working with key stakeholders to identify any barriers to the uptake of anaerobic digestion and ways to address these.

Birds: Somerset

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the population of breeding wading birds and wintering waterbirds in  (a) privately-owned and  (b) publicly-owned land in the Somerset Levels and Moors was in (i) 1987 and (ii) at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: It is not possible to give an indication of populations of birds split between private and publicly owned land, because of the complexity of land ownership.
	There have been comprehensive surveys of the breeding waders of the Somerset Levels and Moors since 1977. These generally take place every five or six years. In 1987, a total of 278 breeding pairs were found to be present across 16 sites. The breakdown was as follows:
	Curlew 27 pairs; Lapwing 144 pairs; Redshank 44 pairs; and Snipe 63 pairs.
	The last comprehensive survey of waders on the 16 sites was in 2002, when a total of 284 breeding pairs were recorded. The breakdown was:
	Curlew 36 pairs; Lapwing 127 pairs; Redshank 69 pairs; and Snipe 52 pairs.
	Data on wintering water birds on the Somerset Levels and Moors are collected and reported through the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS), launched in 1993.
	
		
			  WeBS counts 1993 to 2006, Somerset Levels and Moors 
			  Winter/species  1992-93  2005-06 
			 Mute Swan 525 1,024 
			 Berwicks Swan 209 22 
			 Wigeon 10,253 18,142 
			 Gadwall 80 704 
			 Teal 11,330 8,719 
			 Pintail 205 333 
			 Shoveler 291 845

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he has given to the decision by the Welsh Assembly Government to carry out targeted culls on badgers as a measure to tackle the wildlife reservoir of bovine tuberculosis as part of his policy formulation in this area.

Jonathan R Shaw: The ministerial decision in Wales allows Welsh Assembly officials to consider all the options for culling badgers as part of an 'intensive action area'. Final decisions on what this will involve are not expected before the end of the year. Bovine TB control is a devolved matter, and Wales have responsibility for defining their own strategy for bovine TB control.
	If badger culls do take place in Wales, their effects will be considered as part of our overall TB strategy.

Bromine

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he last met representatives of the bromine industry.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 21 July 2008
	 My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn) and I regularly meet representatives of the chemical industry but we have had no contacts with representatives of the bromine industry in particular or discussions relating to that sector.

Bromine

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what resources his Department is making available to research the effectiveness and safety of new environmentally-friendly alternative flame retardants which do not include the use of deca-BDE.

Phil Woolas: In 2003 the Environment Agency commissioned a report on the Prioritisation of Flame Retardants for Environmental Risk Assessment. The aim of the study was to assess the use of and risks associated with flame retardants, in particular to identify substances that might require detailed consideration in terms of their possible impact on the environment. It also considered issues concerning substitution of flame retardants. The study noted that little was known about the effects of many of the substances, including those sometimes proposed for use as environmentally-friendly substitutes.
	The new European Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (known as REACH) places on industry the responsibility to assess and understand the potential human health and environmental impacts of the substances they produce in accordance with the principle of "No Data, No Market". REACH also has the aim of replacing substances of very high concern, as defined by criteria in the regulation, with suitable alternatives. Industry will have to justify their continued use. These provisions will drive substitution of harmful substances and also provide the assurance that the substitutes are less harmful than the substances they replace. On current evidence decabromodiphenyl ether (deca-BDE) does not meet the criteria of a substance of very high concern.

Carbon

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discount rate was used in the figures set out in the analysis in the Climate Change Bill Financial Impact Assessment.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 929W.

Carbon Emissions

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs further to the answer of 10 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 1775-6W, on carbon emissions, what the implications of the Stern Review are for the tools that are used in Government to perform cost-benefit analysis, with particular reference to the appropriate discount rate to use.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 17 July 2008
	The Stern Review analysed, from a global perspective, the question of whether or not to take global action to avoid dangerous climate change. The methodological approach adopted by the Stern Review in answering this question has implications for the appropriate discount rate to use in cost-benefit analysis under certain specific circumstances, and more generally for the appropriate approach to use to value greenhouse gas emissions in cost-benefit analysis.

Carbon Emissions: Farms

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what statutory means are at his disposal to press farmers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Phil Woolas: There are currently no regulations or statutory instruments which place a direct requirement on farmers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, a number of measures have an indirect impact on agriculture GHG emissions, such as measures under the nitrates directive and conditions under cross-compliance. There are also a number of voluntary initiatives which can help to reduce GHGs from farming, including the Environmental Stewardship schemes and various grant schemes.
	DEFRA has a programme of research dedicated to agriculture and climate change issues which includes research into reducing emissions from livestock, manure and fertiliser application, as well as measures to protect carbon stores in soils. We are working closely with relevant stakeholders, including through the Rural Climate Change Forum and the Farming Futures communications project, to help ensure that farmers have the information and advice they need to take practical action to reduce GHG emissions. As such, we are promoting anaerobic digestion to reduce methane emissions from manure, slurry and other organic material.

Cetaceans

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what photographic and video evidence of cetaceans being caught in nets has been obtained through Government-funded research programmes in the UK in the last 15 years; which Ministers and officials have seen the evidence; who holds the evidence; and if he will publish the evidence.

Jonathan R Shaw: I understand that video and photographic material was collected by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) prior to 2003 as part of their research project into the effects of fishing trawlers on dolphins and porpoises around the UK. DEFRA does not hold, nor was it supplied with, this material.

Coastal Areas: Land

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the quantity of private land affected by the creation of the coastal corridor proposed in the draft Marine Bill;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the amount of compensation payable to private landowners consequent on the creation of the coastal corridor proposed in the draft Marine Bill;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost of the creation of the coastal corridor proposed in the draft Marine Bill.

Jonathan R Shaw: Natural England will consult with landowners before making proposals on the most appropriate positioning of the coastal route. The amount of private land affected by the creation of the coastal corridor will depend on local decisions.
	The draft Marine Bill makes no provision for compensation to be paid to private landowners for the creation of the coastal access corridor. Natural England's report to Government recommended that there should be a working presumption against paying compensation for the new right of access in view of the fact that legislation would be simply creating access rights over land rather than depriving landowners of property. The legislation has been drawn up so that implementation will take account of the interests of landowners and minimise any impact on businesses. Natural England will consult with landowners on any necessary conditions on access, for example for land management purposes.
	Natural England has estimated a cost of £50 million over 10 years for implementing the coastal access corridor. This figure includes the costs of Natural England and local authority staff, the costs for establishing the coastal access corridor on the ground, and for ongoing maintenance during the implementation period.

Coastal Areas: Land

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received on the creation of a coastal corridor proposed in the draft Marine Bill.

Jonathan R Shaw: 3,929 responses were received to the public consultation on the draft Marine Bill which closed on 26 June 2008. We also received about 11,000 postcards from members of the Ramblers' Association supporting the inclusion of coastal access provisions in the draft Bill. We are currently looking at the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary of the responses within 12 weeks of the consultation closing.

Coastal Areas: Rights of Way

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans his Department has to improve access to coastal areas in the UK.

Jonathan R Shaw: A proposal for Natural England to identify a coastal route and associated coastal margin around the English coast, to which there will be a right of access on foot, is contained in the draft Marine Bill. In Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government are considering appropriate statutory provisions for Wales which might be included in the final Bill. In Scotland, the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 provides a statutory right of access to most land and inland water, and access in Northern Ireland is covered by the Access to Countryside (NI) Order 1983.

Cumbria

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to increase the number of people working in his Department in Cumbria.

Jonathan R Shaw: The majority of DEFRA staff working in Cumbria are located in Carlisle, Penrith and Workington.
	Animal Health has an office at Carlisle that is staffed at a level to carry out duties effectively. Currently there are no immediate plans to increase staff levels.
	Present staffing levels within the Rural Payments Agency are sufficient to meet present business needs and are expected to remain reasonably constant going forward, although processes and structures are constantly under review for efficiency purposes.
	There are currently no plans to increase staff numbers at the Veterinary Laboratory Agency's office in Penrith.

Dairy Farming

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the financial position of the dairy industry; and what the current farm gate price for milk is.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA published farm incomes in England by farm type in January 2008. These were based on figures from the Farm Business Survey. Farm Business Income per farm on dairy farms was expected to have increased to £50,700 in the year ended February 2008, from £33,600 in the previous year—an increase of about 50 per cent. This was largely due to a higher farm gate milk price in 2007-08, although higher input costs, particularly feed, dampened down the size of the expected increase. This compares with the average income across all types of farms, including dairy farms, which was expected to have increased by 20 per cent. from £37,600 to £45,000 in 2007-08. DEFRA will publish actual incomes for the year ended February 2008 in October this year, and forecast incomes for the year ending February 2009 in January 2009.
	In May 2008 the farm gate price of milk in the UK was 24.45p per litre compared with 17.53p per litre in May 2007.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in his Department and its agencies have been  (a) dismissed and  (b) disciplined for their conduct in the last two years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The number of staff dismissed and disciplined for their conduct by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its agencies during the last two financial years, 2006-07 and 2007-08 are as follows:
	 Dismissed: 36
	This figure represents:
	Nine staff dismissed from DEFRA
	27 Staff dismissed from DEFRA agencies
	 Disciplined: 72
	This figure represents:
	Six staff disciplined within DEFRA
	66 Staff disciplined within DEFRA agencies
	The figure refers to staff disciplined for recorded minor, serious and gross misconduct. However, it does not reflect the total number of staff disciplined for minor misconduct, because these warnings are issued by line managers who are not required to record these cases centrally. To obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	The Civil Service Management Code sets out the requirements for Departments to have procedures in place to deal with conduct and disciplinary issues. The DEFRA procedures are laid down in the staff handbook which is accessed on the departmental intranet.

Departmental Press Officers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average cost to his Department was of employing a press and media officer in 2007-08.

Jonathan R Shaw: 20 full-time, permanent members of staff are employed in the DEFRA Press Office to deal with inquiries from the media.
	Details of the number of staff employed at each grade and the relevant salary scales are included in the following table:
	
		
			  Grade  Number of Staff  Salary scale (£) 
			 Information Officer 10 28,901 to 33,986 
			 Senior Information Officer 6 33,728 to 41,232 
			 G7 3 45,167 to 54,744 
			 G5 1 56,100 to 78,540

Departmental Research

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of his Department's budget and that of its predecessor was used for research within its areas of responsibility in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The proportion of DEFRA's budget that was used for research and development in each of the last eight years was:
	
		
			  Financial year  Proportion of budget used for research and development (Percentage) 
			 2001-02 7.33 
			 2002-03 7.40 
			 2003-04 6.64 
			 2004-05 6.20 
			 2005-06 6.64 
			 2006-07 6.06 
			 2007-08 5.02 
		
	
	The table shows the research and development proportion of total expenditure for the financial years since the department was formed in 2001. There are no figures provided for DEFRA's predecessor Departments as this information could only be provided by incurring disproportionate cost.
	The acquisition and use of evidence is central to the development and delivery of robust policies and operations and underpins DEFRA's reputation and ability to influence.
	In 2007-08, around 95 per cent. of DEFRA's research and development budget was spent by policy groups to directly support their strategic priorities. The remaining funds were used by the central evidence teams to fund cross-cutting and horizon scanning work. In addition to spend on research and development, approximately £200 million was spent in 2007-08 on other science, including surveillance, monitoring, field trials and knowledge transfer.

Dolphins and Porpoises

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what data sources he uses to establish  (a) the population of (i) bottlenose and (ii) common dolphins in UK waters,  (b) the existence of sub-populations and  (c) dolphin population trends; and if he will publish such data;
	(2)  what data sources he uses to establish  (a) the population of harbour porpoises in UK waters, (b) the existence of sub-populations and  (c) porpoise population trends; and if he will publish these data.

Jonathan R Shaw: Cetacean abundance has been assessed recently in European waters through two large international survey projects: Small Cetacean Abundance in the North sea in 2005 (SCANS-II) and Offshore Distribution and Abundance—2007 (CODA). The first project assessed abundance of both species on the continental shelf of the European Atlantic and North sea and the latter in the offshore environment.
	The estimates from SCANS-II were compared with those from an earlier survey (SCANS) in 1994 and there was no significant difference found between population size for harbour porpoise. The final report has recently been submitted to the EU and will shortly be published.
	The CODA project focuses on cetaceans in offshore waters of the European Atlantic and began in November 2006. Shipboard surveys to assess abundance were carried out in July 2007 and the data are currently being processed. Publication of the results will follow the project's completion in September 2008.
	Common dolphins are widely distributed, with the number of animals in the continental shelf area varying substantially from year to year. There is no known sub- structuring of the common dolphin population in UK waters.
	For bottlenose dolphins there is some sub-structuring. Genetic studies have indicated that the  Tursiops. truncatus occurring in the offshore waters of the North Atlantic belong to a large oceanic population. Conversely, and although coastal populations around the UK are not genetically isolated, there is some evidence for geographic structuring.
	In 2007, Favourable Conservation Status assessments were undertaken for both species under the requirements of the Habitats Directive. The bottlenose dolphin was reported to be in a favourable condition, while the status of the common dolphin was unknown, due mainly to our lacking of knowledge in the offshore abundance. CODA was in part initiated to provide this information. The UK FCS assessments are available from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's website.
	The two SCANS surveys (1994 and 2005) estimated common dolphin abundance in the Celtic sea area. However, the 1994 estimate was not corrected for animals missed on the transect line or for responsive movement, and this is now known to generate significant positive bias. Therefore, it is unknown whether the differences in the abundances obtained were indicative of an actual change in abundance or were related to the different methodology used. Additionally, these two surveys only covered the continental shelf area. This species is known to move widely between inshore and offshore areas.
	The sub-population structure of North East Atlantic harbour porpoises has still not been elucidated fully. However, two sub-populations are recognised in UK waters. The first in the North sea and through to western Scotland; and the second in the Celtic and Irish sea area.
	The abundance estimates from SCANS-II were compared with those from an earlier survey (SCANS) in 1994 for the North sea. There was no significant difference found between population size for harbour porpoise over this decadal period. The final report for SCANS II has recently been submitted to the EU, following which the work will be published.

Domestic Waste

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the amount of domestic waste produced in England and Wales in each of the last three years, broken down by region; and how much was produced per household in each region in each year.

Joan Ruddock: The household waste figures are calculated from data submitted to WasteDataFlow by local authorities and are for the last three financial years for which data are published.
	
		
			  Total household waste (million tonnes) 
			  Region  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 North East 1.33 1.29 1.30 
			 North West 3.77 3.82 3.72 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2.55 2.51 2.57 
			 East Midlands 2.27 2.19 2.25 
			 West Midlands 2.68 2.66 2.72 
			 East 2.87 2.85 2.90 
			 London 3.30 3.33 3.39 
			 South East 4.27 4.19 4.26 
			 South West 2.62 2.63 2.67 
			 
			 England 25.66 25.45 25.78 
		
	
	The household waste per household figures are calculated using the same WasteDataFlow data and the Valuation Office Agency dwelling stock figures.
	
		
			  Household waste (kilograms per household per year) 
			  Region  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 North East 1,165 1,117 1,121 
			 North West 1,244 1,246 1,206 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,153 1,119 1,136 
			 East Midlands 1,230 1,163 1,179 
			 West Midlands 1,181 1,155 1,174 
			 East 1,210 1,177 1,187 
			 London 1,040 1,032 1,043 
			 South East 1,230 1,188 1,195 
			 South West 1,174 1,154 1,159 
			 
			 England 1,180 1,152 1,156 
		
	
	Any issues relating to Wales are a devolved matter for the Welsh Assembly Government and should be answered by them.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers waste collection authorities have to fine households which put rubbish out at times other than those specified by the authority.

Joan Ruddock: Under section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA), local authorities can issue residents with a notice specifying requirements as to the collection of household waste receptacles. These requirements may include the specifics of how and when to present the receptacles for collection, or the articles which must be placed in the receptacles. It is an offence for somebody to fail to comply with these requirements.
	Section 47ZA of the EPA allows local authorities to issue fixed penalty notices for offences under section 46. These fixed penalty notices can be issued by the following people:
	(a) an employee of the authority who is authorised in writing by the authority for the purposes of giving notices;
	(b) any person who, in pursuance of arrangements made with the authority, has the function of giving such notices and is authorised in writing by the authority to perform that function; and
	(c) any employee of such a person who is authorised in writing by the authority for the purposes of giving such notices.
	DEFRA's guidance on fixed penalty notices explains that where local authorities authorise contractors to carry out enforcement activities, they should ensure that background checks are carried out to determine their suitability and capability. It is important that contractors receive adequate training and have a full understanding of any locally set procedures or policies before they begin to issue fixed penalties. The published guidance can be found on the DEFRA website.

Domestic Wastes: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers waste collection authorities have to fine householders for putting rubbish or recycling into the wrong rubbish or recycling bin or box; and what the statutory basis is for such powers.

Joan Ruddock: Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA) allows a waste collection authority, by issuing a section 46 notice (s.46 notice), to specify the conditions of the waste collection service it provides. The conditions a s.46 notice covers include the number and type of receptacles to be used, how the waste is to be presented, where and when the receptacle(s) should be placed for collection and any other conditions to facilitate its collection.
	Section 46(6) of the EPA makes it an offence for a recipient of the service to breach the conditions set in the s.46 notice and those that breach could be prosecuted under this section. In such a case, the magistrates court would determine the fine.
	Section 48 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (CNEA) amended the EPA, adding section 47ZA. Section 47ZA allows a waste collection authority to issue fixed penalty notices for breaches of s.46 of the EPA. The amount of the fixed penalty is set by the waste collection authority in relation to the authority's area, or if no amount is set £100. An authority can accept a lesser amount if it is paid before a date specified by the authority.

Environment Protection: Planning Permission

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many requests from planning authorities for responses on planning permission applications the Environment Agency has received in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09 to date;
	(2)  how many Environment Agency staff are working to process requests from planning authorities for responses on planning permission applications;
	(3)  what the current backlog is for requests from planning authorities for responses on planning permission applications to the Environment Agency; and what the current average waiting time for responses is.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency receives requests from planning authorities for comments on planning application consultations, development plans and pre-application consultation requests from developers. The Environment Agency replied to 49,432 planning application consultations in 2007-08. In the first quarter of 2008-09 the Environment Agency replied to 11,279 planning applications.
	Planning application consultations sent to the Environment Agency are initially dealt with by Planning Liaison teams, but they may also require additional input from Environment Agency technical experts in issues such as flood risk, pollution, water, waste and wetland biodiversity. There are currently 238 Area Planning posts in the Environment Agency.
	There is no current 'backlog' of requests. The current live workload is 3,072 items of 'casework', which includes planning applications, inquiries and other consultations. The average response time for planning applications in the first quarter of 2008-09 was 15.8 days.
	In the Environment Agency's most recent report (2006-07, December 2007) on replies to planning application responses within the statutory 21-day time limit (or other period as agreed in writing with the applicant), 89 per cent. of consultations (on 40,168 planning applications) were determined within the time period. The report for 2007-08 is currently being prepared and will be published shortly.

Environment Protection: Somerset

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money has been spent in the Somerset Levels and Moors on the  (a) environmentally sensitive areas,  (b) countryside stewardship,  (c) environmental stewardship and  (d) Natural England wildlife enhancement scheme.

Joan Ruddock: The question covers four schemes which cover different areas and are managed in different ways.
	The following table gives a breakdown of the spend under each scheme to date.
	
		
			  Scheme  Date parameters  Spend (£) 
			 Environmentally Sensitive Area—Management Agreements 1 January 1998 to 17 July 2008 25,361,582 
			 Environmentally Sensitive Area—Conservation Plans 1 January 1998 to 17 July 2008 620,879 
			 Wildlife Enhancement Scheme (SSSI only within the ESA) 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2008 605,532 
			 Countryside Stewardship (within the county of Somerset)—Revenue 1 January 1998 to 17 July 2008 10,558,903 
			 Countryside Stewardship (within the county of Somerset)—Capital 1 January 1998 to 17 July 2008 6,671,447 
			 Environmental Stewardship (within JCA 142)—Entry Level Stewardship 1 January 2005 to 17 July 2008 446,471 
			 Environmental Stewardship (within JCA 142)—Organic Entry Level Stewardship 1 January 2005 to 17 July 2008 421,166 
			 Environmental Stewardship (within JCA 142)—Entry Level with Higher Level Stewardship 1 January 2005 to 17 July 2008 628,379 
			 Environmental Stewardship (within JCA 142)—Organic Entry Level with Higher Level Stewardship 1 January 2005 to 17 July 2008 20,679 
		
	
	JCA 142 is the Joint Character Area for the Somerset Levels and Moors.

Fisheries: Research

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether he has received the final project report on By-catch Mitigation Research from the Sea Mammal Research Unit; and when the report will be made publicly available;
	(2)  how many cetaceans have been saved as a result of the UK's cetacean by-catch response strategy published in 2003;
	(3)  what Government-funded research is being undertaken on cetacean by-catch; what the focus of that research is; when it will conclude; and when the results of the research will be publicly available.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1777W, for details on the Government-funded research being undertaken by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) on cetacean by-catch mitigation. The final report of the project is due to be published in the autumn.
	Information on implementing the UK's cetacean by-catch response strategy is available on DEFRA's website.
	Further information will be made available when the annual report on the UK cetacean by-catch monitoring scheme is published.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on his plans for restructuring of internal drainage boards; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the restructuring on maintenance and dredging of watercourses in England.

Phil Woolas: I have asked internal drainage boards (IDBs) to consider a move to sub-catchment management to achieve a better integrated approach towards the management of catchments and coastal systems.
	The concept of sub-catchment management is based on managing water levels throughout a whole catchment to achieve a reduction in the risk of flooding to people, property, businesses, infrastructure, high quality agricultural land and to maintain and improve favourable conditions for environmentally sensitive areas.
	Once re-organised on a sub-catchment basis, IDBs will be larger, better resourced, will benefit from economies of scale and will be better placed to strategically plan, prioritise and deliver appropriate maintenance of watercourses. They will also be better able to contribute a strategic view to the future development of high level plans, including catchment flood management plans and river basin management plans.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many engineers are employed by  (a) the Environment Agency in England and  (b) internal drainage boards in England; and how many people will be employed by internal drainage boards after the restructuring programme is completed.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency estimates that it employs around 200 chartered and incorporated engineers with experience in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering but recognises that this list is not comprehensive.
	DEFRA does not record the information on internal drainage board engineers.

Flood Control: Somerset

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by the Environment Agency and its predecessor bodies on flood risk management in the Somerset Levels and Moors flood plain since 1987; and how much of that money was spent on  (a) dedicated water management for nature conservation and  (b) protection of special protection areas and sites of scientific interest.

Phil Woolas: The overall cost of flood risk management for the Somerset Levels and Moors area from 1987 to the current date is £28.1 million. The costs include elements of schemes and strategies that cover a larger area than the Levels and Moors but could not be separated.
	The costs associated with raised water level areas protecting sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) within the Somerset Levels and Moors since 1987 are £1.6 million, which includes construction and maintenance expenditure.
	Schemes were also undertaken where the primary driver is the DEFRA Public Service Agreement Target 3, which states that 95 per cent. of all SSSIs must be in favourable or favourable recovering condition by 2010. These SSSIs also form part of the Somerset Levels and Moors Special Protection Area and the Environment Agency's work helps to protect the integrity of the internationally important sites under the Habitats Regulation 1994.
	The Greylake Sluice and Oath Tidal Sluice schemes have both been replaced with new structures that allow greater flexibility in the control of water level management at a cost of £6.5 million combined. Similar work has also been carried out on a number of smaller structures at a combined cost of £3.5 million. Additional small schemes are also planned in the future. The costs formulated are only those of the Environment Agency.

Flooding Lessons Learned Review

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards publishing an action plan for the implementation of the recommendations made in the Pitt report.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn) on 17 July 2008,  Official Report, column 393.

Flooding: Gloucestershire

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 29W, on flooding: Gloucestershire, if he will direct the Environment Agency to undertake repair work on the Glynbridge Gardens side of the River Chelt.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 21 July 2008
	 The Environment Agency is repairing the river banks on the George Reading Wayside of the River Chelt because a flood defence wall is at risk of collapsing. There are no flood defences on the Glynbridge Gardens side of the river and responsibility for maintenance lies with the riparian owner. Therefore, I will not direct the Environment Agency to undertake such work.
	However, I will request that the riparian owner undertakes this work.

Game

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency on registration and compliance with their terms of the registration of establishments processing wild game; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 21 July 2008
	There have been no discussions at ministerial level with the Food Standards Agency in respect of establishments handling the processing of wild game.

Geographical Information Systems

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans his Department has to establish a geo-portal for spatial data held by public bodies, including cadastral data, to help implement the provisions of the EU INSPIRE Directive.

Jonathan R Shaw: The creation of a national geo-portal is being considered in plans to implement the EU INSPIRE directive. The portal would provide one place where users can access metadata (on data corresponding to the INSPIRE spatial data themes, one of which is cadastral parcels) and be directed to other services, for example, to view and download data.

Heating: Carbon Emissions

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimates his Department has made of the potential carbon dioxide savings of replacing D-rated and below energy circulator pumps with A-rated energy circulator pumps in  (a) domestic and  (b) non-domestic properties in the UK.

Joan Ruddock: The Government's Market Transformation Programme estimates, based on sales data from 2006, that the potential carbon savings of replacing D-rated and below energy labelled circulator pumps with A-rated energy labelled circulator pumps would be about 0.1 megatonnes of carbon for domestic properties and about 0.3 megatonnes of carbon for non-domestic properties.

Marine and Fisheries Agency

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the levels of  (a) customer and  (b) stakeholder satisfaction with the Marine and Fisheries Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There has been no formal assessment yet of customer or stakeholder satisfaction with the Marine and Fisheries Agency. The Agency is planning to undertake a customer satisfaction survey this year.

Marine Management Organisation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons trade unions in his Department were not consulted before the status of the proposed Marine Management Organisation was determined in January 2007.

Jonathan R Shaw: There have been two formal consultations on the Marine Bill including proposals for the establishment of a Marine Management Organisation (MMO). These were undertaken in accordance with the Government's consultation criteria. The trade unions therefore had two opportunities to provide comments on part of the process. Officials have also met regularly with the trade unions to discuss the Marine Bill, implementation of the MMO and related issues.

Marine Management Organisation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Marine and Fisheries Agency meets the objectives he has set for the proposed Marine Management Organisation.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Marine and Fisheries Agency already undertakes many of the functions that will fall to the new Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and there is broad agreement that the MMO should be built on the MFA. Where practicable new functions will be transferred to the MFA in advance of the establishment of the MMO with the aim of ensuring a smooth transition to the new organisation.

Marine Management Organisation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration his Department has given to according Crown status to the proposed Marine Management Organisation.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Marine Bill consultation in 2006 set out options for the status of Marine Management Organisation (MMO), including Executive agency. Careful consideration was given to the most appropriate status for the MMO, and responses to that consultation were taken into account.
	Non-departmental public body (NDPB) status was considered to be the most appropriate given the functions that the new body is designed to deliver, together with the fact that those services will be delivered by the MMO on behalf of the Government and not just on behalf of DEFRA.

National Union of Mineworkers

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings  (a) he and  (b) his Ministers have held with representatives of the National Union of Mineworkers in the last six months; what the date was of each such meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There have been no meetings between Ministers in DEFRA and the National Union of Mineworkers.

Pesticides

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the volume and proportion of the annual potato crop which has been treated with anti-blight spray in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: Anti-blight sprays are applied to main crop potatoes. Data from recent pesticide usage surveys indicate that approximately 97 per cent. of the crop is treated each year. Estimates for the volume of harvested UK production treated for blight are:
	2007: 5.3m tonnes;
	2006: 5.4m tonnes;
	2005: 5.6m tonnes.

Pesticides

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department has issued on the use of hormonal weed killers on crops which are likely to enter the food chain.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 21 July 2008
	Certain hormonal weed killers have the potential to remain in plant material from treated land and pass into the manure of livestock which eat such material. Susceptible crops may be adversely affected by the residues in the plant material. Labels of certain products which contain particular hormonal week killers therefore include warnings not to use manure from livestock which have eaten grass from treated land, or fodder derived from such grass, on susceptible crops or on land intended for growing such crops, until all plant material has fully decomposed. As with all plant protection products, users should always read and follow the label instructions; this is a statutory requirement.
	Some cases of damage to susceptible crops which appear to involve the weed killer aminopyralid have arisen recently. In such cases, the label precautions on the use of manure may not have been followed when manure has been supplied to allotment holders and gardeners. The manufacturer has indicated that they are withdrawing products which contain aminopyralid from sale and PSD is formally suspending their authorisations while they investigate the options for preventing a recurrence of this problem. A key issue in their consideration will be whether the conditions of use regarding manure are sufficient, or sufficiently well known.

Pesticides

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received on the contamination of manure by hormonal weed killers.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The first inquiry relating to the potential effects of the hormonal herbicide aminopyralid in manure was received by the Pesticides Safety Directorate's helpline on 12 March 2008. Around 90 inquiries had been received up to 16 July 2008, primarily from amateur gardeners and allotment holders. It is not known how many reports of damage to crops are attributable to aminopyralid.

Pesticides: EU Action

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on British farming of the proposed EU prohibition on the use of certain agrochemicals.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 25 June 2008,  Official Report columns 302-03W.

Pollution: Hertfordshire

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the Sandridge bromate contamination on  (a) the Mimram River and  (b) chalk aquifers in Hertfordshire.

Phil Woolas: The River Mimram lies outside the area of contamination. Sampling has shown that groundwater between the plume and the Mimram contains no bromate. Given these data and the generally stable nature of the plume the Environment Agency is confident that the Mimram is not, and will not be, subject to contamination by bromate.
	Contamination of the chalk aquifer in Hertfordshire extends 20 km from Sandridge to the Lee Valley between Ware and Turnford, which includes Hoddesdon and Broxbourne. One borehole has been taken out of use for public supply. The contamination has restricted the use that can be made of seven other public supply boreholes and three private boreholes. The three private boreholes are all close to Sandridge. Concentrations of bromate and the size of the plume show no change with time.

Pollution: Incinerators

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how frequently the Environment Agency tests the levels of lead in incineration bottom ash; and on how many occasions in the last five years it has found levels of lead in such ash which exceeded the levels at which such waste can be sent to non-hazardous landfill.

Joan Ruddock: The Environment Agency does not test the levels of lead in incinerator bottom ash (IBA). However, through a permit condition, incinerator operators are required to monitor IBA on a quarterly basis for a suite of metals including lead.
	Non-hazardous landfill operators have to ensure they comply with the limits specified in their landfill permit and waste acceptance criteria before accepting a waste for disposal. Records of levels of lead in IBA that have exceeded the levels at which they can be sent to non-hazardous landfill are not held centrally and would incur disproportionate cost to collate.

Radioactive Materials: Waste Disposal

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what his Department's budget for work associated with nuclear waste was in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many of his Department's officials work on nuclear waste issues.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA's Radioactive Waste and Preparedness team deals with a range of issues including radioactive waste management, radioactive discharges, related legislation and DEFRA's response to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incidents. The team is made up of about 25 staff.
	The annual programme budget for the team, for each of the last three years has been in the order of 3.5 to 4.8 million.

Recycling: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes there have been in levels of household recycling in Halifax since 1997.

Joan Ruddock: National data on household recycling rates are only available down to local authority level. Halifax is within Calderdale metropolitan borough council and the household recycling rates for Calderdale are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Recycling and composting rate (Percentage) 
			 1997-98 5.7 
			 1998-99 4.3 
			 1999-2000 7.8 
			 2000-01 9.1 
			 2001-02 10.1 
			 2002-03 12.2 
			 2003-04 13.6 
			 2004-05 17.1 
			 2005-06 20.4 
			 2006-07 21.3 
		
	
	These household recycling rates were reported to the Audit Commission by Calderdale under the best value performance regime and measure performance on dry recycling and composting. There have been some changes in the definitions of the waste indicators over time which may affect the comparability of data. Nevertheless, the figures show a clear increase in Calderdale's recycling rate since 1997.

Recycling: Low Income

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government  (a) have taken and  (b) plan to take to assist low income families with recycling.

Joan Ruddock: We do not consider that low income groups are less able to reduce and recycle their waste than those on higher incomes. However we encourage local authorities to consider any groups that may require extra support and how best to provide this.

Rural Areas: Employment

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of new jobs created in rural areas in each region in England in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	.
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes in employment from year to year.
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	The attached table provides estimates of the number of people aged 16 and over, in employment, resident in rural areas by Government Office Region of residence, and the net change year on year.
	Figures are for the three months ending June for each year from 2005 to 2007, the latest available. Figures prior to 2005 are not available due to the rural breakdown requested.
	As with any survey, results from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of people aged 16 and over in employment in rural areas( 1)  and net change by Government office region of residence for April to June quarter in each year 
			  Thousands, not seasonally adjusted 
			   Levels  Net change 
			  North East   
			 2005 208  
			 2006 212 4 
			 2007 246 34 
			
			  North West   
			 2005 378  
			 2006 401 23 
			 2007 414 13 
			
			  Yorkshire  and  The Humber   
			 2005 509  
			 2006 516 7 
			 2007 519 3 
			
			  East Midlands   
			 2005 656  
			 2006 649 -7 
			 2007 649 0 
			
			  West Midlands   
			 2005 440  
			 2006 424 -16 
			 2007 417 -7 
			
			  East   
			 2005 876  
			 2006 845 -31 
			 2007 884 39 
			
			  London   
			 2005 10  
			 2006 10 0 
			 2007 8 -2 
			
			  South East   
			 2005 885  
			 2006 905 20 
			 2007 905 0 
			
			  South West   
			 2005 828  
			 2006 840 12 
			 2007 834 -6 
			
			  England   
			 2005 4,794  
			 2006 4,804 10 
			 2007 4,878 74 
			 (1) Estimates of the rural breakdown are provided using the URIND variable, which was introduced in spring 2005 As with any survey, results from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.  Source: Labour Force Survey

Rural Areas: Population

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will assess the effect of the implementation of his Department's definition of sustainability on population growth in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people to enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations.
	For the UK Government and the devolved Administrations, that goal will be pursued in an integrated way through a sustainable, innovative and productive economy that delivers high levels of employment; and a just society that promotes social inclusion, sustainable communities and personal wellbeing in all communities, rural and urban. These principles will be carried forward through four priorities for action:
	Sustainable consumption and production;
	Climate change and energy;
	Natural resource protection and environmental enhancement; and
	Sustainable communities.
	And it is in working on all four of these that we will achieve our sustainable development objectives.

Seas and Oceans: Nature Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what legal provisions exist for restricting fishing activity in order to protect marine biodiversity in UK  (a) inshore and  (b) offshore waters.

Jonathan R Shaw: Within six nautical miles, sea fisheries committees in England and Wales have powers under the Sea Fisheries Regulation Act 1966 to introduce byelaws to restrict fishing activities for fisheries management and marine environmental purposes. In addition, the Secretary of State, the Welsh Ministers and the Scottish Ministers have powers under the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 to restrict fishing activities for fisheries management and marine environmental purposes.
	In the 6-12 nautical mile zone, the Secretary of State, the Welsh Ministers and the Scottish Ministers have powers under the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 to restrict fishing activities for fisheries management and marine environmental purposes. Where it is intended that such restrictions should apply to the vessels of another member state, they must be approved by a Commission Decision (or a Decision of the Council) following consultation with the Commission, affected member states and the regional advisory council.
	Outside of 12 nautical miles, the UK would approach the Commission and other member states to seek adoption of appropriate measures through the common fisheries policy where a need is identified for controls to be placed on fisheries activities in order to protect an area, habitat or species of national importance.

Seas and Oceans: Nature Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what fishing activity he intends to permit in UK offshore Special Areas of Conservation sites.

Jonathan R Shaw: The regulation of fishing activity in offshore waters is the responsibility of the EU Fisheries Council and the European Commission. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee has advised that, in respect of the offshore sites which it is so far proposed to designate as Special Areas of Conservation, the use of heavy towed gear should be prohibited in order to protect the features for which designation is proposed. Such controls already apply to the Darwin Mounds site, but it will be for the Commission to propose and ultimately for the Council to decide what measures, if any, should be applied in respect of the other sites proposed for designation.

Seas and Oceans: Nature Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the Dogger Bank has not been formally approved as a proposed offshore Special Area of Conservation; and when he expects the approval process to be resolved.

Jonathan R Shaw: Survey of the Dogger Bank was not completed in time for this site to be included among those in respect of which the Joint Nature Conservation Committee launched a consultation process at the end of last year. It is hoped that we will be able to include this site in next year's tranche of offshore Special Areas of Conservation, to be notified to the European Commission by the end of August 2009.

Seas and Oceans: Nature Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what size of network of marine conservation zones his Department is budgeting for.

Jonathan R Shaw: The coverage of marine conservation zones (MCZs) proposed for designation under the draft Marine Bill will depend on the outcome of stakeholder-based regional projects being established by the statutory conservation agencies. However, for the purposes of assessing costs and benefits in the impact assessment for the draft Bill, it was assumed that there would be 92 MCZs in English territorial waters and UK offshore waters, covering approximately 71,000 square kilometres, or 8.2 per cent. of UK waters to the limits of the continental shelf.

Seas and Oceans: Nature Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the UK territorial waters will need to be protected as Special Areas of Conservation to meet the UK's obligations under the EU Habitats Directive.

Jonathan R Shaw: Given that the Habitats Directive requires us to protect sites containing particular types of habitat, it is not possible to make an estimate of the sea area likely to be affected by designation in the absence of completed surveys of the sea-bed in UK offshore waters. The survey process is ongoing.

Seas and Oceans: Nature Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the UK's seas will need to be protected to fulfil the UK's obligations under the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment, OSPAR.

Jonathan R Shaw: All of the UK's seas in the North East Atlantic are within the scope of the OSPAR Convention. The convention requires contracting parties to prevent and eliminate pollution and to take the necessary measures to protect the maritime area against the adverse effects of human activities so as to safeguard human health and to conserve marine ecosystems.
	Theoretically, all of the UK's seas are covered by the UK's OSPAR obligations, but in practice, OSPAR operates a risk-based approach to protect those areas, species and habitats that are vulnerable and likely to be affected.

Seas and Oceans: Nature Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the UK's seas must be protected to achieve Good Environmental Status as required under the EU Maritime Strategy Directive.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which came into force on 15 July 2008, applies to all marine waters under the UK's jurisdiction.
	The directive requires member states to carry out an initial assessment of the state of their seas and to determine in more detail what Good Environmental Status means for their marine waters by July 2012. Until this work has been completed we will not be in a position to assess what the programme of measures will need to comprise in order to achieve Good Environmental Status.
	The directive also requires member states to co-operate with other member states in their marine region to ensure the requirements of the directive are co-ordinated at a regional level. The UK will be using its role within the OSPAR Convention to pursue this aspect of the directive.

Seas and Oceans: Nature Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason the Government have not introduced acoustic deterrent devices, as required by the EU by-catch regulation (EC) No. 812/2004.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1777W, which sets out the UK Government's position in regard to acoustic deterrent devices, as required by EU Regulation 812/2004.

Sustainable Development

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the annual cost of measuring life satisfaction as part of the sustainable development indicators.

Phil Woolas: The intention is for questions on life satisfaction to be included in various surveys run by Government Departments for other purposes, thereby enabling life satisfaction to be analysed alongside other survey data. The annual cost will be small in comparison with the overall costs of the surveys concerned.
	An update for 2008 will come from the Department of Health Healthy Foundations Life-Stage Segmentation survey, which is looking at the drivers for behaviour relating to smoking, obesity, alcohol and substance abuse, sexual health and mental health. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has contributed 4,400 to ensure the inclusion of the life satisfaction question in this survey.
	Future updates will come from other surveys, for example the Taking Part survey run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Television

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what premium Sky, digital terrestrial or cable television channels  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies subscribes; and at what yearly cost in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: My Department uses freeserve across the estate. We pay no subscriptions.

Trees: Diseases

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the incidence of  (a) bleeding canker in horse chestnut trees,  (b) sudden oak death,  (c) oak processionary moth and  (d) defoliation of horse chestnuts by the leaf-mining caterpillar cameraria ohridella in the last 12 months.

Joan Ruddock: Information and survey reports on all of these pests have been published on the Forestry Commission website.
	A survey of horse chestnut ( Aesculus hippocastanum) in Great Britain was undertaken between June and August 2007. This was to provide information, based on visual assessment of symptoms, on the likely incidence and severity of the disease known as Horse Chestnut Bleeding Canker, caused by  Pseudomonas syringae pathovar aesculi. I will arrange for a copy of the survey report to be placed in the Library of the House.
	In 2004, the Forestry Commission carried out a major survey of woodlands in Great Britain to determine whether there was any evidence of the pathogen  Phytophthora ramorum, referred to in the USA as 'Sudden Oak Death'. Further surveys have been carried out each year and since. I will arrange for a copy of the Report on the Forestry Commission Re-Survey of Woodlands 2007 to Assess the Level of Incidence of  Phytophthora ramorum and  Phytophthora kernoviae in woodlands in England and Wales to be placed in the Library of the House.
	The Oak Processionary Moth was first found in London in 2006. I will arrange for a copy of the Report on survey for Oak Processionary Moth  Thaumetopoea processionea (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae) (OPM) in London in 2007 to be placed in the Library of the House. Surveys this year suggest that the outbreak area has not expanded and, in many locations, the numbers of new nests has been significantly reduced.
	 Cameraria ohridella, the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner, was first detected in Wimbledon in 2002. Since then, it has continued to spread outwards and is now found as far north as South Yorkshire and in East Anglia and parts of Wales.

Trees: Genetically Modified Organisms

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with European counterparts on the release of genetically-modified trees.

Joan Ruddock: I attended the High-Level Segment of the Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Bonn in May this year. Ministers from across the world attending the High-Level Segment discussed the issue of genetically modified trees. Their conclusions are reflected in the decision agreed by the conference and are to:
	Reaffirm the need to take a precautionary approach when addressing the issue of genetically modified trees;
	Authorize the release of genetically modified trees only after completion of studies in containment, including in greenhouse and confined field trials, in accordance with national legislation where existent, addressing long-term effects as well as thorough, comprehensive, science-based and transparent risk assessments to avoid possible negative environmental impacts on forest biological diversity;
	Also consider the potential socio-economic impacts of genetically modified trees as well as their potential impact on the livelihoods of indigenous and local communities;
	Acknowledge the entitlement of Parties, in accordance with their domestic legislation, to suspend the release of genetically modified trees, in particular where risk assessment so advises or where adequate capacities to undertake such assessment is not available;
	Further engage to develop risk-assessment criteria specifically for genetically modified trees;
	Note the results of the NorwayCanada Workshops on Risk Assessment for Emerging Applications for Living Modified Organisms (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/4/INF/13);
	Welcome the decision of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol to establish an Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Risk Assessment and Risk Management that is also mandated to address the issue of genetically modified trees;
	Collaborate with relevant organizations on guidance for risk assessment of genetically modified trees and guidance addressing potential negative and positive environmental and socio-economic impacts on the conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity associated with the use of genetically modified trees;
	Provide the available information and the scientific evidence regarding the overall effects of genetically modified trees on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity to the Executive Secretary for dissemination through the clearing-house mechanism.

Trees: Urban Areas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration he has given to widening the remit of the Forestry Commission to include  (a) amenity and  (b) urban trees in relation to pests and disease.

Joan Ruddock: The Forestry Commission's statutory remit under the Plant Health Act 1967 charges them with the responsibility for the protection of forest trees and timber against attack by pests. This statutory remit does not specifically extend to monitor amenity and urban trees in relation to pests and disease. In practice the Forestry Commission occasionally does this, either by individually financed surveys aimed at detecting specific pest problems, or by monitoring the issues raised in calls for advice through the Tree Health Diagnostic and Information Service operated by Forest Research. I have asked the Forestry Commission to consider whether there is a need to extend their remit to include a more targeted approach to amenity and urban trees.

Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme has given to waste collection authorities on the number of different recycling and rubbish bins that should be given to local authorities.

Joan Ruddock: The Government believe local authorities are best placed to make decisions on the waste management strategy for their communities. Local authorities are free to chose how they fulfil their waste collection duties including the frequency of the collections, the priority, degree of effort and resources required.
	The authority can specify the number, size, construction and maintenance of receptacles, what can be placed in each, where and when they are to be placed for collection and can require the waste to be treated prior to placing it in a receptacle (usually washing or rinsing containers).
	All recycling systems require the use of more than one receptacle, so the guidance published by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) in July 2007 offers some consideration of specific issues associated with the containers for recycling and residual waste, in the context of alternating collections of recylates and residual waste.

Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme is taking to improve advice services provided to local authorities on local waste collections.

Joan Ruddock: The Government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)'s recycling and organics technical advisory team (ROTATE) provides advice to local authorities in England and Northern Ireland on reducing residual waste for disposal, increasing recycling and diversion from landfill and waste prevention.
	The advisory service is free. So far, over 300 local authorities have benefited from WRAP's local authority advisory service on their collection programmes for kerbside, civic amenity and bring schemes. Areas where advice is provided include collections and recycling, waste prevention and monitoring and evaluation. The service has been improved this year by integrating support for local communications with advice on collection systems so that authorities will receive a more comprehensive service. The service has also been extended to include support for authorities preparing business cases for PFI funding to ensure that they can meet the required level of recycling.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether local authorities will have powers to stop collecting household waste from dwellings which refuse to pay or are late in paying the charges in areas where charges for the collection of household waste are being piloted.

Joan Ruddock: The Climate Change Bill allows for up to five local authorities to pilot waste incentive schemes. Such schemes do not permit local authorities to stop collecting household waste from dwellings where householders have not paid, or are late in paying.

Waste Management: Private Sector

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps his Department takes to advise local authorities in their choice of private sector waste management partners;
	(2)  what powers his Department has to instruct and manage the private sector companies that are short-listed for local government waste management contracts;
	(3)  for which local authorities his Department has instructed the authority to exclude certain private sector companies from the short list for waste disposal contracts.

Joan Ruddock: The procurement of local authority contracts is a matter for the authority.

Waste Stakeholder Group

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the members of the Waste Stakeholder Group are; when it has met; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of its meetings.

Joan Ruddock: The meeting dates, board members, and minutes for the Waste Stakeholder Group are all published on the DEFRA website.

Waste Strategy Board

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the members of the Waste Strategy Board are; when it has met; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meetings.

Joan Ruddock: The meeting dates, board members and minutes for the Waste Strategy Board are all published on the DEFRA website.

WALES

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what purchasing process is used by his Department for the purchase of alcohol for hospitality purposes;
	(2)  what measures are in place in his Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Paul Murphy: For the three receptions that I have hosted this year, limited alcoholic refreshments were provided. For the two receptions in London these were sourced on line. The one reception Cardiff was sourced through the National Assembly for Wales. Expenditure on receptions is recorded and monitored in Wales Office accounts.

Departmental Paper

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of paper used  (a) for photocopying and  (b) in printed publications by his Department was from recycled sources in each of the last two years.

Paul Murphy: In each of the last two years the Wales Office has used 100 per cent., recycled paper for photocopying and printing, and the paper used in our publications, in each of the last two years, has been at least 75 per cent., recycled.

Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of staff in his Department are disabled; and what the average salary in his Department is of  (a) full-time disabled staff,  (b) full-time non-disabled staff,  (c) part-time disabled staff and  (d) part-time non-disabled staff.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office has a few staff with disabilities. For reasons of privacy no details are given, in line with Cabinet Office guidance.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are in place in his Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Paul Goggins: The amount spent on alcohol cannot be separated from other hospitality expenditure except at disproportionate cost.
	The Department has specific guidance on the provision of hospitality in accordance with the principles of the Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on regularity and propriety.

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what purchasing process is used by his Department for the procurement of alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office purchases alcohol via contracted suppliers in line with Government procurement rules.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department and its agencies spent on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office and its agencies spent 262,784.11 on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08.

Departmental Overtime

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hours of overtime were worked by staff in each pay grade in his Department in each of the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of staff in his Department have had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many staff in his Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

Offensive Weapons: Crimes of Violence

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were  (a) charged and  (b) convicted of knife-related crime in Northern Ireland in the first six months of (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Paul Goggins: In answer to  (a), the data are not available in the format requested. The following table outlines the number of crimes which involved a knife that were cleared by means of a charge or summons. The data do not record whether the knife was used.
	
		
			   Cleared by means of charge or summons 
			 January to June 2007 140 
			 January to June 2008 206 
			  Source: Central Statistics Unit, PSNI 
		
	
	On  (b), court conviction datasets do not contain background information in relation to offences committed; it is therefore not possible to identify separately the number of convictions for all offences where a knife was involved. For instance, if a knife was used in murder, this information would not be recorded. Prosecution and conviction data are also collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included in the data.
	I welcome the recent agreement between the PSNI and the Public Prosecution Service that people caught in possession of a knife in a public place with no reasonable excuse can expect to be prosecuted. The re-launch of the PSNI's knife campaign on 21 July will help to reinforce this message and help to raise awareness of the dangers of knives more generally.
	I have recently announced a range of tough new sentencing powers to tackle knife crime. The commencement of provisions in the Criminal Justice Order on 16 July means the maximum penalty for carrying a knife in a public place, including school premises, is now a four year custodial sentence.
	I intend to consult on a number of other proposals including a retail licensing scheme, a retail code of practice and a test purchase scheme to enforce the age limit on the sale of knives. All these initiatives will be underpinned by new research to obtain up-to-date local information on the attitude of young people in Northern Ireland to knives.

Official Visits

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1200W, on George W Bush: official visits, whether the cost of 306,000 was drawn from the existing policing budget or whether additional funds were provided.

Paul Goggins: No additional funding has been made available to the Police Service in respect of the visit by George W. Bush, and costs are charged against existing police budgets.

Olympic Games 2012

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in the last 12 months on securing benefits to Northern Ireland from the 2012 Olympic games.

Paul Goggins: Since the majority of issues associated with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games are devolved matters in Northern Ireland, the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure takes the lead for the Northern Ireland Executive in ensuring that it maximises the potential benefits for Northern Ireland that will arise from the 2012 games. They work closely with my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Olympics, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic games.
	In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State sits on the Cabinet sub committee that co-ordinates and oversees issues relating to the London 2012 games.

Police: Finance

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of policing in Northern Ireland was in the last year for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the average daily cost of policing in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The latest figures available for the total cost of policing are the annual financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2008.
	The following table details the cost of policing for the last five years and the average daily cost for each year.
	The figures are calculated using information as published in the annual financial statements and exclude pension accounts, operating income, exceptional items and interest paid.
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Expenditure (000) 742,134 782,025 770,906 822,100 848,293 
			 Days (Number) 366 365 365 365 366 
			 Average (000) 2,028 2,143 2,112 2,252 2,318

Prisoners Transfers

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners sentenced in Northern Ireland have been transferred to prisons in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) Scotland in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: There were three prisoners transferred to prisons in England and Wales in the last 12 months, one in January 2008, one in March 2008 and one in July 2008.
	Those prisoners transferred in January and March were transferred to England for assessment under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983. Hospital Orders were later issued when they were transferred to secure hospitals in England for treatment. As they have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983, they are no longer classed as Northern Ireland sentenced prisoners.
	There were no prisoners transferred to Scotland.

Sexual Offences

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) convicted on charges relating to having sexual intercourse with an underage person in each of the last two years; what percentage of these cases resulted in a custodial sentence; and what the average length was of the prison term.

Paul Goggins: The following table outlines the number of prosecutions and convictions, the percentage of those convicted who received a custodial sentence and the average custodial sentence length (in months) for sexual intercourse with an underage person.
	The data cover the calendar years 2005 and 2006 (the latest available years) and are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Number of prosecutions and convictions, percentage of those convicted who received a custodial sentence and the average custodial sentence length (in months) for sexual intercourse with an underage person for 2005 and 2006( 1,2) 
			   2005  2006 
			 Prosecutions 8 9 
			 Convictions 7 8 
			 Percentage of those convicted who received a custodial sentence 43 75 
			 Average sentence length (in months) 17 23 
			 (1) Northern Ireland court prosecution and conviction datasets do not contain victim information in relation to offences committed, which means that figures for rape are not included within the analyses. (2) Data include only those offences which, by their definition, identify a child as the victim: 'unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 14 years' and 'unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 17 years'.

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons detained in young offenders' centres went on to re-offend following release in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is currently only available for 2005 and is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number re-offending within one year  Total in 2005 cohort 
			 Juvenile Justice Centre 26 38 
			 Young Offenders Centre 14 17 
		
	
	These figures are drawn from the NIO Statistical and Research Bulletin 7/2008 'Northern Ireland re-offending: results from the 2005 cohort', which is the first analysis of re-offending behaviour in Northern Ireland. Previous analyses have been limited to the measure of reconviction and are thus incomparable to re-offending rates.
	It is anticipated that an analysis of 2006 youth re-offending rates will be published in early 2009.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Alcoholic Drinks

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research he has  (a) conducted and  (b) evaluated on the relationship between (i) alcohol prices and (ii) alcohol promotions in licensed premises and the excessive consumption of alcohol; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett) on 18 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1019W.

Cultural Heritage

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of the properties on the English Heritage At Risk Register are in public ownership.

Margaret Hodge: Nationally, 149 (15 per cent.) Grade 1 and Grade 2 Star listed buildings on the English Heritage, Heritage at Risk Register are in public ownership.
	In London, where Grade 2 listed buildings at risk are included on the Heritage At Risk Register in addition to Grade 1 and Grade 2 Star buildings, the percentage of publicly owned buildings is 21 per cent.

Cultural Leadership Programme

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Cultural Leadership Programme spent on administration in each of the last three years.

Margaret Hodge: The Cultural Leadership Programme has provided the following figures for the amount spent on administration, defined as research and project management and not including staffing, in each of the last three years:
	
		
			
			 2005-06  
			 2006-07 70,000 
			 2007-08 235,000

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which organisations have received  (a) free and  (b) discounted room hire from (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the commercial value of the discount was in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department does not hold this information; neither does its agency The Royal Parks.

Departmental Conferences

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) scheduled date and  (b) title was of each conference proposed to be hosted by his Department and its agency which was cancelled before taking place in each of the last 10 years; and what costs were incurred in respect of each.

Margaret Hodge: The Royal Parks Agency has confirmed it has not cancelled any conferences in the last 10 years.
	DCMS does not keep a central record of the information requested and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information technology projects initiated by his Department have been cancelled prior to completion in the last five years; and what the cost of each such project was to the public purse.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department has not cancelled any information technology projects prior to completion in the last five years.

Departmental Information Officers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the average cost to his Department was of employing a press and media officer in 2007-08.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Press and media officers in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport operate at two salary levels. The average salaries (which include a specialist allowance of 4,000) as at the 31 March 2008 are shown in the table.
	
		
			   
			   Pay band  Average press/media officer salary 
			 Grade A 42,770-52,985 49,343 
			 Grade B 27,560-35,335 33,218 
		
	
	In addition to salary there are other employer costs such as employer's pension; employer's national insurance costs, overtime payments and overheads.
	 Note
	Press and media officers have been defined as the frontline staff dealing with the media. Support staff and staff whose main job is more of a management role, such as Head of News are excluded.

Departmental Paper

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of paper used  (a) for photocopying and  (b) in printed publications by his Department was from recycled sources in each of the last two years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In each of the last two years the Department has used 100 per cent. paper from recycled sources for its photocopying. In printed publications the Department uses stock that has a minimum recycled content of 50 per cent. This stock also carries FSC certification, which guarantees that the virgin fibre comes from well managed sustainable sources.

Departmental Press

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by his Department on subscriptions for magazines, newspapers and other publications in each of the last 24 months.

Margaret Hodge: The information in the following table represents expenditure incurred by the Department's Library and Information Centre on subscriptions for hard copy and online magazines, newspapers, books and other publications, access to specific research databases, the Stationery Office and other parliamentary information sources as well as legal online and hard copy updating services.
	Increases in the monthly expenditure for the end of financial year 2006-07 and the beginning and end of financial year 2007-08 are due to the renewal of a number of annual subscriptions.
	
		
			
			 June 2006 12,076.12 
			 July 2006 6,914.55 
			 August 2006 13,833.71 
			 September 2006 10,921 
			 October 2006 3,714.15 
			 November 2006 19,359.08 
			 December 2006 12,971.34 
			   
			 January 2007 7,759.70 
			 February 2007 29,825.98 
			 March 2007 39,513.60 
			 April 2007 58,792.60 
			 May 2007 11,338.37 
			 June 2007 7,333.86 
			 July 2007 14,334.99 
			 August 2007 4,604.08 
			 September 2007 16,361.33 
			 October 2007 34,415.62 
			 November 2007 14,563.60 
			 December 2007 12,609.01 
			   
			 January 2008 18,976.62 
			 February 2008 10,373.05 
			 March 2008 36,383.02 
			 April 08 46,785.46 
			 May 2008 3,004.00 
		
	
	Please note the 2008-09 figures have yet to be audited and are therefore subject to change.

Departmental Research

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of his Department's budget was used for research within its areas of responsibility in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The proportion of the administration and programme (Request for Resources 1) budget used for research by the Department is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Percentage of budget used for research 
			 1998-99 0.048 
			 1999-2000 0.113 
			 2000-01 0.094 
			 2001-02 0.091 
			 2002-03 0.041 
			 2003-04 0.024 
			 2004-05 0.024 
			 2005-06 0.125 
			 2006-07 0.196 
			 2007-08 0.167

Departmental Responsibilities

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which projects his Department has commissioned from  (a) think tanks and  (b) charities in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what the aim of each project was; which think tank or charity was commissioned; and how much was paid.

Margaret Hodge: It is not possible to disaggregate the information from the relevant DCMS databases therefore the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Secondment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department were  (a) on loan from other Government Departments,  (b) on loan from other organisations,  (c) on secondment from other Government Departments and  (d) on secondment from other organisations in each of the last five years, broken down by pay band.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport the number of staff by pay band/grade on loan from other Government Departments in each of the last five years  (a) is shown in Table 1. There were no loans from other organisations  (b).
	
		
			  Table 1: Loans from other Government Departments 
			   31 March each year 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 SCS 6 3 4 5 5 
			 A(U) (Gd6) 2 3 4 5 4 
			 A (Gd7) 15 15 17 12 15 
			 HEOD 4 2 3 3 1 
			 B (HEO) 40 32 44 40 34 
			 C(EO) 12 24 28 40 30 
			 D (AO/AA) 15 14 23 16 7 
			 Total 94 93 123 121 96 
		
	
	There were no staff on secondment from other Government Departments  (c). The number of staff on secondment from other organisations by pay band/grade during the last five years  (d) is shown in Table 2.
	
		
			  Table 2: Inward secondments 
			   1 April  each year 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 SCS   2 1  
			 A(U) (Gd6)  
			 A (Gd7) 4 4  1  
			 HEOD  
			 B (HEO) 5 6 5 2 2 
			 C(EO) 5 2 2 1 2 
			 D (AO/AA)  1 2 2 1 
			 Total 14 13 11 7 5

Departmental Vetting

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what procedures his Department follows for checking the criminal records of employees; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport follows the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard which includes a verification of unspent criminal records. The Defence Vetting Agency arranges for a 20 per cent. check of the successful applicants on our behalf. This will increase to 100 per cent. from 1 October 2008.

Digital Broadcasting

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to assist households unable to receive satellite and terrestrial television signals after the digital switchover has taken place.

Andy Burnham: Digital terrestrial television (DTT) coverage is planned to reach 98.5 per cent. of householdsthe same as pre-switchover analogue terrestrial coverage reception. Digital satellite services are available now to 98 per cent. of UK households.
	Ofcom are continuing planning work with a view to minimising the number of viewers predicted to have poor or no coverage after switchover. The switchover in Selkirk that begins in November may help us to assess whether this is a significant issue. For those households unable to receive DTT or satellite services, specific advice is available from Digital UK on alternative platforms available to them.

Lost Working Days

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many working days have been lost due to industrial action by employees for which his Department is responsible in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information is only available for the last five years and is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Calendar year  Days lost 
			 2004 120 
			 2005  
			 2006  
			 2007 176.5 
			  Note: In March 2008, 52 staff took two hours industrial action and in April 2008, 44 staff took two hours industrial action by walking out.

Olympic Games

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 613-4W, on the Olympic Games, what estimate he has made of the cost of Ministers and officials from his Department attending the Beijing Olympic Games.

Gerry Sutcliffe: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, and travel by DCMS officials is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code, copies of which are available in the Library.
	DCMS has endeavoured to ensure the best possible price for travel and accommodation to the Olympic Games. Officials attending the Observer Programme and those from the DCMS Press Office have arranged these through LOCOG to achieve this.

Sports: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consultations the Big Lottery Fund undertakes with Sport England before making grants for sport-related activities; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The Big Lottery Fund has advised that Big and Sport England liaise frequently on matters of mutual interest, including Big's sport related programmes.
	The knowledge and expertise of Sport England, working in partnership with Big on its New Opportunities in PE and Sport programme, has been vital in ensuring the programme is a success. Big (and its predecessor body, the New Opportunities Fund) and Sport England have also worked jointly to fund programmes and projects when it is felt that they can support each other to meet each organisation's objectives, including the Active England and Awards For All programmes and the Active Places database of sports facilities.

Sports: Private Sector

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in raising the 100 million for elite sport from the private sector announced in the 2006 Budget; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 14 July 2008
	The Department has made progress in developing a range of proposals to raise private sector sponsorship to support the elite programme. We are in detailed discussions with a number of interested parties about the precise nature and scope of a national sponsorship scheme to help our athletes prepare for London 2012.
	This week we have appointed Fast Track Sales as our official fund-raising partner.
	I will make a further announcement next month.

UNESCO Convention on Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consultation he has undertaken on the ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 21 July 2008
	We are in regular discussion with the historic environment community and other Government Departments that have an interest in this and other issues but there has been no formal public consultation on this subject. The position of the Government in respect of ratification is kept under constant review.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Delivery Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Leader of the House what steps her office has taken to monitor the cost of its mail services in the last 12 months.

Harriet Harman: Monitoring the cost of mail services for the office of the Leader of the House of Commons is handled by the Cabinet Office. Mail services are provided by the Cabinet Office's facilities management providers who decide the most economical method of sending mail externally, unless instructed by the customer to use a specific service, e.g. recorded or special delivery.

Public Sector: Pay

Paul Burstow: To ask the Leader of the House what the median relevant increase for the public sector groups which will in future be used in the uprating formula for the salaries of hon. Members was in each of the last 10 years.

Helen Goodman: The information requested is not easily obtainable within the normal timescales for answering written parliamentary questions. I will write to the hon. Member with the information shortly.
	 Substantive answer from Helen Goodman to Paul Burstow:
	I promised to write in response to your Parliamentary Question of 9 July asking what the median relevant increase for the public sector groups which will in future be used in the uprating formula for the salaries of hon. Members was in each of the last 10 years.
	In order to determine the median relevant increase for the last 10 years data needed to be gathered from a range of Government Departments and this led to the slight delay in responding.
	The median increase for the public sector groups which will in future be used in the uprating formula for hon. Member's salaries in each of the last 10 years is as set out below:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2008 2.25 
			 2007 2.5 
			 2006 3.0 
			 2005 2.8 
			 2004 2.9 
			 2003 3.6 
			 2002 3.6 
			 2001 3.275 
			 2000 3.3 
			 1999 3.5 
		
	
	I hope that this is helpful.
	I am placing a copy of this letter in the House of Commons Library.

Redundancy Pay

Lynne Jones: To ask the Leader of the House what redundancy package is available for hon. Members' staff; what the reasons are for its provisions; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: Members' staff contracts specify that individuals who are made redundant qualify for payment in accordance with the statutory requirement, an amount which is based on age and length of service. Such payments are subject to a minimum of two years continuous employment.
	In addition to the basic contractual entitlement, Members have the discretion to make a matching redundancy payment to staff from their Staffing Allowance or from the Winding Up Allowance made available to them on leaving the House.
	For Members who leave at a general election, or who stand down at other times, any contractual redundancy payment is charged to central funds and not parliamentary allowances.
	Members who choose to restructure their offices during a Parliament, and in the process make staff redundant, must fund redundancy payments from their parliamentary allowances.
	These arrangements were approved by the Members Estimate Committee after discussion by the Advisory Panel on Members' Allowances.

TRANSPORT

Aircraft

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what aircraft types are used for scheduled domestic passenger flights in the UK; and what the passenger capacity is of each.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 17 July 2008
	A table showing the aircraft types used for scheduled domestic passenger flights in the UK in 2007 and their passenger capacity (based on average seats per flight) has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The data have been provided to the Department by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA); they are not published by the CAA.

Aircraft

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what aircraft types are used for scheduled domestic passenger flights in the UK; and what distance was travelled on such flights by each aircraft of each type in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 21 July 2008
	Tables showing the aircraft types used for scheduled domestic passenger flights in the UK in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and the distance travelled by each have been placed in the Library of the House.
	The data have been provided to the Department by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA); they are not published by the CAA.

Aviation: Carbon Emissions

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the likely effect of including aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on carbon dioxide emissions from UK aviation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The European Parliament has just voted in favour of including aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in January 2012.
	This means that CO2 emissions from EU aviation covering all departing and arriving flights will be capped at 97 per cent. of average 2004-06 emissions in 2012 and tightening to 95 per cent. in 2013, and that any emissions above these levels will have to be matched through abatement by aviation or reductions made elsewhere.

Biofuels

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she  (a) has had and  (b) plans to have with the British biofuels industry on the implications of the Gallagher review.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A number of stakeholders from the British biofuels industry made detailed submissions to Professor Gallagher's team during the course of the review, and these were taken carefully into account. Industry representatives also participated in the stakeholder workshop at which the initial findings from the background studies were discussed, and at the 9 July seminar at which Professor Gallagher presented his findings.
	The Department has had and will continue to have regular discussions with representatives from the British biofuel industry, both at official and ministerial level. The Gallagher review's findings and the Government's response to them will feature prominently in these discussions over the months ahead.
	The Government have stated that they intend to consult formally on slowing down the rate of increase in the renewable transport fuel obligation, taking the level to 5 per cent. (by volume) by 2013-14, in line with Professor Gallagher's recommendation. This consultation is likely to commence later in the year, and the responses from the British biofuel industry will be taken carefully into account.

Biofuels

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account the Gallagher Review of biofuels took of  (a) the sources of biofuels used in the UK and EU,  (b) the size and status of the biofuels industry in the UK and EU,  (c) the size and impact of US, UK and EU subsidies for biofuel production in relation to imports of US biofuels to the UK and EU and  (d) current and projected levels of UK and EU subsidies for biofuel production in the UK and EU.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Gallagher review focused on the potential impacts of likely global demand for biofuels in 2020, rather than on the dynamics of specific regional biofuel markets. As part of this, it took account of matters such as the different types of biofuel feedstocks likely by 2020 to be used in different regions (including the EU, USA and China), and the different land requirements and impacts of these feedstocks. Matters such as current and projected levels of subsidies for biofuels and the impact these might have on different markets were outside the scope of the review. The Gallagher review and the studies underpinning it are available via the Renewable Fuels Agency's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/rfa/.

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are in place in her Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department's guidance on hospitality does not encourage expenditure on or consumption of alcohol. Where it is demonstrated that alcohol is to be consumed in context of a particular event and in conjunction with food, express permission from a senior manager is required.

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what purchasing process is used by her Department for the procurement of alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department does not encourage expenditure on or consumption of alcohol in relation to hospitality. Therefore there are no specific processes for the purchase of alcohol, other than those provided in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Telephone Services

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue her Department received from the 0870 driver inquiry line in the last financial year; and how much it cost her Department to administer the service in that period.

Jim Fitzpatrick: For the financial year 2007-08 the rebate (revenue) received from the DVLA 0870 driver inquiry line was 687,638.18. The full staff cost (to cover the 177 staff members involved) of administering this particular 0870 service during 2007-08 was 3,389,288.00.

Departmental Written Questions

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the average time her Department has taken to respond to parliamentary questions for written answer in each of the last eight quarters.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		
			   Average number of working days to respond 
			  2006  
			 Quarter 3  
			 1 July-30 September 4.27 
			 Quarter 4  
			 1 October-31 December 3.77 
			   
			  2007  
			 Quarter 1  
			 1 January-31 March 4.26 
			 Quarter 2  
			 1 April-30 June 2.99 
			 Quarter 3  
			 1 July-30 September 2.77 
			 Quarter 4  
			 1 October-31 December 4.41 
			   
			  2008  
			 Quarter 1  
			 1 January-31 March 6.22 
			 Quarter 2  
			 1 April-30 June 5.19

Driving Under the Influence

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps the Government have taken to reduce levels of drink-driving.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 13 June 2008,  Official Report, column 541W.

Heathrow Airport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she had with BAA on landing charges at an expanded Heathrow in the six months before the publication of the Adding Capacity at Heathrow consultation document.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State for Transport has held regular meetings with BAA, including during the six months before the publication of the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport consultation document. These have covered a range of issues pertinent to BAA airports including Heathrow. Landing charges at an expanded Heathrow airport would be a matter for BAA and CAA, and were not discussed at these meetings.

Lorries

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the number of lorries regularly travelling on road in England which were registered  (a) to British companies and  (b) foreign companies in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department does not hold statistics on the number of lorries regularly travelling on roads in England.
	However, the numbers of vehicles licensed within the heavy goods vehicle tax class and registered to keepers in England in each of the last three years were as follows:
	
		
			  Year end  Number of licensed heavy goods vehicles registered in England (Thousand) 
			 2005 374 
			 2006 382 
			 2007 383 
		
	
	The Department does not hold statistics on the number of foreign registered lorries being used on England's roads but will publish estimates of the proportion of traffic accounted for by foreign registered vehicles on 24 July 2008.

Lorries: Driving Offences

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers' hours offences were detected in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007; and what proportion of these were committed by drivers of left-hand drive heavy goods vehicles.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) does not record whether an HGV is left or right-hand drive.
	It would seem reasonable that the majority of Foreign Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) are left-hand drive, except for those from the Republic of Ireland.
	
		
			  Financial Year  Prohibited for drivers' hours, tachograph and records  O f which :  Eire vehicles 
			  2007-08   
			 UK 7,339  
			 Foreign 7,329 2,310 
			 Total 14,668  
			
			  2006-07   
			 UK 4,901  
			 Foreign 6,376 1,040 
			 Total 11,277  
			
			  2005-06   
			 UK 6,182  
			 Foreign 4,403 1,578 
			 Total 10,585

Lorries: Exhaust Emissions

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effects of a  (a) particulate and  (b) carbon dioxide emissions limit on the fuel efficiency of lorries.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Where the particulate emissions limit is sufficiently strict as to oblige manufacturers to use a diesel particulate filter, as the future Euro VI standard proposed by the European Commission may be, the associated fuel consumption penalty would be likely to be between 2 and 3 per cent. if no offsetting improvements to engine or vehicle technology were made.
	In principle, because carbon dioxide is a direct consequence of the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels, the imposition of a carbon dioxide emissions limit for lorries would, if it were lower than the current average emissions rate, reduce fuel consumption proportionately. The imposition of a carbon dioxide emission limit for lorries would be technically very difficult and deliver limited environmental benefits.

M3

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the maximum traffic capacity of the M3 motorway between  (a) junctions 4-4A and  (b) junctions 4A-5.

Tom Harris: As a rural dual three-lane motorway, the estimated maximum sustainable traffic capacity of the M3 motorway between  (a) junctions 4-4A and  (b) junctions 4A-5 is 67,000 vehicles per carriageway per day.
	The recently published Highways Agency Regional Network Report for the south-east includes observed stress maps which compare traffic capacity with daily traffic flow. A copy of this report will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
	For this section of the M3, the observed stress map shows that using 2006 information, the daily stress value is 100 to 110 per cent. A value of over 100 per cent. means that the road is busy during more than just the morning and evening peak hours.

M6: Accidents

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what steps the Government have taken to reduce the number of serious car accidents on the M6;
	(2)  what steps the Government have taken to improve the safety of junctions on the M6.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency continually monitors and studies safety on the M6 and all other routes for which it is responsible.
	Over the last five years, it has completed over 25 improvements to the M6 motorway at various locations along its approximately 230-mile length to enhance safety both on the motorway and at junctions.
	These improvements include: junction widening, signalisation of junctions, the use of high-friction surfacing, better road markings and an innovative technique developed to manage traffic on slip-roads, known as Ramp Metering.
	Further safety improvements continue to be identified and will be implemented as part of the steps to address the 2010 casualty reduction targets.

M6: Accidents

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government plan to take to reduce the number of serious car accidents at the Catthorpe junction on the M6.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency (HA) has already completed a number of interim measures to improve safety at this junction.
	In March 2007, the hard shoulder of the M6 to M1 slip-road was converted to a running lane. Additional signs were installed on the M6 to give advance warning to motorists of queuing traffic and yellow box markings and 'merge in turn' signs were installed at the junction itself, to help regulate traffic movements.
	Currently the HA is investigating significant further measures for longer term improvement, and a number of options are currently under public consultation. Subject to the necessary statutory processes being completed and the availability of funding, work could start in summer 2011.

Motorways

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost per mile of widening motorway carriageways by one lane was in each of the last 10 years.

Tom Harris: The following table lists the average cost per mile at 2008 prices of widening existing motorways by one lane, provided by publicly funded major schemes, for each of the last 10 years.
	
		
			   Number of projects  Cost per lane mile in 2008 prices ( million) 
			 1998-99 0 0.0 
			 1999-2000 0 0.0 
			 2000-01 0 0.0 
			 2001-02 1 63.5 
			 2002-03 0 0.0 
			 2003-04 1 24.8 
			 2004-05 1 4.0 
			 2005-06 3 12.0 
			 2006-07 3 10.3 
			 2007-08 1 5.5

Railway Network

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the budget of her Department's Rail Group was in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: Government expenditure on rail between 2002-03 and 2007-08 along with spending plans for 2008-09 and 2009-10 is set out the Department for Transport annual report. A copy of the relevant table is reproduced as follows:
	
		
			   Outturn  Estimated outturn  Plans 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 1)  2009-10( 1) 
			 Net Direct Support for Passenger Rail Services 738 930 (2)1,225 878 813 847 684 449 (250) 
			 Grants to PTEs 214 245 294 277 199 313 310 323 329 
			 Direct Grants to Network Rail 499 (3)792 1,448 2,058 1,984 (4)3,103 3,154 3,224 3,066 
			 CTRL Grants 342 1,362 1,295 312 385 102 154 88 90 
			 Freight Grants(5) 57 49 32 26 5 0 0 0 0 
			 Other(6) 273 390 394 296 104 84 72 74 76 
			 Total 2,134 3,768 4,688 3,847 3,490 4,449 4,374 4,158 3,311 
			 (1) Total expenditure and the mix between support for passenger rail services and direct grants to Network Rail may be subject to revision as part of the regulatory review into Network Rail's income which is currently being conducted by the Office of Rail Regulation.  (2) Figure includes 700 million paid directly to train operating companies that was subsequently deemed to be in respect of capital investment undertaken by Network Rail.  (3) Figure includes a grant payment of 300 million to Network Rail to facilitate the purchase of Railtrack.  (4) From 2006-07 onwards responsibility for paying grants to Network Rail for the rail network in Scotland has been transferred to Scottish Ministers. Spending plans in this table from 2006-07 onwards are in respect of the English and Welsh elements of the railway.  (5) Responsibility for the payment of Freight Grants transferred from the SRA to Logistics Division in DfT on 26 June 2005. The figure in this table shows spending by the SRA prior to that transfer.  (6) Figures include payments in respect of rail industry pensions, external costs in connection with specifying and procuring rail franchises and in managing rail projects and payments to the British Transport Police, the Rail Passengers Council, the Rail Heritage Committee and British Rail (Residuary) Ltd.   Note:  Prior to 2004-05 expenditure relates to spending by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and the Department for Transport. During 2005-06 the functions and spending of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) were progressively transferred to the Department for Transport in accordance with the Railways Act 2005. This table represents the combined spending of the SRA and its predecessor bodies, the DfT Rail Directorate prior to the relevant parts of the Railways Act being commenced and the new DfT Rail Group. From 2006-07 onwards figures show planned spending by DfT.

Railway Network

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the staffing costs of her Department's Rail Group were in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: Prior to 2004-05 the vast majority of public sector staff costs in connection with the railway were expended by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). During 2005-06 the functions of the SRA were progressively transferred to the Department for Transport's Rail Group. The following figures show staff costs of the Rail Group following the transfer of those functions.
	
		
			million 
			 2007-08 21.4 
			 2006-07 17.2 
			 2005-06 11.7

Railway Network: Manpower

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalent members of staff  (a) her Department and  (b) public bodies her Department is responsible for employ on tasks related to the railway; how many of those work on (i) project management, (ii) project oversight and (iii) financial oversight; and what plans she has for future staffing.

Tom Harris: The National Networks Group have 336 full-time equivalent members of staff; of this number, 70 are employed in project management and project oversight and 58 are employed on financial oversight. Plans for future staffing will be agreed in next year's round of business planning beginning October 2008.

Road Signs and Markings: Tourism

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans she has to review provisions for signage to tourist attractions on major highways;
	(2)  if she will consider introducing special highway signage to indicate UK World Heritage sites.

Rosie Winterton: There are no plans to review national policy for signing to tourist attractions on major highways. The Department is, however, currently considering the scope of its planned general review of traffic signs policy.
	There is a range of prescribed signs to tourist destinations including places of architectural or historical interest, and sporting and leisure facilities. It is also open to highway authorities to apply for authorisation to place non-prescribed tourist signs on the public highway. Any such applications are considered strictly on a case-by-case basis; and every effort is made to accommodate the needs of tourist industry stakeholders while ensuring that safety and traffic management needs are not compromised.

Roads: Noise

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance she gives to local authorities on the use of low-noise road surfaces.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 July 2008,  Official Report, column 926W.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Highways Agency received for the maintenance of trunk roads in the last year for which figures are available.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency received an allocation of 896 million in 2008-09 for maintenance of the Strategic Road Network.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much local authorities received for the maintenance of principal roads in the last year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The Department provides capital funding for highways maintenance to English local authorities (outside London) through the Local Transport Plan settlement. For the year 2007-08 682.983 million was provided. In November 2007, I announced funding of 703.209 million for 2008-09; 755.617 million for 2009-10; and 808.617 million for 2010-11. Local authorities can also use Revenue Support Grant provided by CLG. Neither funding is ring-fenced, and sums are not separately identified for different classes of road. The management of local roads is a matter for each local highway authority, based upon their local priorities. Funding for highways in London is a matter for the Mayor.

Transport: Costs

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the percentage change in real terms of the cost of travelling by  (a) private car,  (b) bus and  (c) train since (i) 1979 and (ii) 1997; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of average disposable income represented by such costs in each case in each year.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 10 June 2008
	 The following table shows the percentage change in real terms of the cost of travelling by car, bus and train since 1979 and 1997 compared to 2007 in the UK.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   (i) 1979 to 2007  (ii) 1997 to 2007 
			  (a) Private car -10 -8 
			  (b) Bus +49 +13 
			  (c) Train +44 +5 
			  Source:  Retail Price Index (Annual)Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	The changes are against a background of an increase in disposable income of 105 per cent. between 1979 and 2007 and 27 per cent. between 1997 and 2007. The decline in the real-term cost of travelling by car reflects the significant impact of the decline in real-terms cost of purchasing a vehicle.
	While the cost of motoring has fallen in real terms, the overall UK expenditure on motoring has increased over this period as, the estimated number of cars per household has increased from 0.75 in 1979, to 1.02 in 1997 and 1.15 in 2006.
	According to the available data from the Expenditure and Food Survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics, motoring costs were 10 per cent. of household disposable income in 1978, 14 per cent. in 1997-98 and 12 per cent. in 2006.
	Fares and other travel costs were 3 per cent. of household disposable income in 1978, 2 per cent. in 1997-98 and 2 per cent. in 2006.

Transport: Fuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions her Department has made in respect of the price of carbon for the purposes of the appraisal of  (a) road and  (b) rail schemes; what account she takes of the (i) EU trading price of carbon, (ii) value of carbon ascribed by Nicholas Stern and (iii) notional figure required to achieve a 60 per cent. cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 in such appraisals; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 14 July 2008
	The Department recommends all appraisals use the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' shadow price of carbon (SPC) when valuing greenhouse gas emissions. These estimates are used across Government appraisals and, in transport, across the different types of intervention.
	DEFRA's recent releaseThe Social Cost of Carbon and the Shadow Price of Carbon: What they are, and how to use them in Economic Appraisal in the UKdocuments the assumptions underpinning the current estimate and the approach used in its calculation. It is conceptually different to the market price for carbon, so the EU trading price of carbon does not enter into DEFRA's assessment.
	Carbon impacts will vary depending on the greenhouse gas concentration trajectory the world is on. If emissions fail to fall at the rates targeted, the higher will be the trajectory for carbon concentrations and the more damage from climate change. The SPC calculation undertaken by DEFRA is based on Nicholas Stern's analysis of this aspect.

Transport: Nuclear Fuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with L'Autorit de sėret nuclaire (ASN) on its refusal to give further authorisations for plutonium shipments from Sellafield to the Areva plant at La Hague following receipt of a consignment of UK plutonium from Sellafield on 21 May; and what steps have been taken in response to the issues highlighted by ASN.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As a result of discussion between this Department and L'Autorit de sėret nuclaire (ASN) regarding the shipment of plutonium by Sellafield Ltd in May, and our subsequent investigations, we took regulatory action to prevent further shipments of plutonium from Sellafield in the same manner. ASN has not itself taken any regulatory action.
	Sellafield Ltd has appealed the action. Until that appeal process is concluded Sellafield Ltd is prohibited from making any further shipments of this type of plutonium in the same manner.

Transport: Pressure Groups

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions Ministers and officials from her Department have met representatives of  (a) Hacan ClearSkies,  (b) Plane Stupid,  (c) Greenpeace and  (d) Friends of the Earth since January 2006.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 14 July 2008
	 I met with a number of representatives from environmental groups, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, on 11 July 2007. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met a number of representatives from this list on 10 September 2007, and met with Greenpeace on 21 February 2008 and 10 September 2007. The then Secretary of State (the right hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, South) met with Greenpeace on 28 June 2006 and his predecessor, the right hon. Member for Edinburgh, South-West, met with environmental groups including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth on 2 June 2006.
	In addition, I met with a range of environmental and special interest groups, including all of those listed above, on 21 November 2007 in connection with the Department's consultation on adding capacity at Heathrow.
	Officials meet representatives from environmental groups, including Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, regularly, for example in meetings of the External Advisory Group on the Air Transport White Paper, or on an ad hoc basis to discuss specific issues. Officials also regularly meet with representatives of Hacan ClearSkies at the bi-monthly Heathrow Airport Consultative Committee meetings of which Hacan is a member.

West Coast Railway Line

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make it her policy to ensure that the 25 milestones agreed by the Office of Rail Regulation with Network Rail to monitor the progress towards the December delivery of the West Coast upgrade, will be reported on more than twice before December.

Tom Harris: The Office of Rail Regulation is responsible on a quarterly basis for reporting the progress made by Network Rail in their delivery of the West Coast Main Line upgrade.
	In its Network Rail Monitor for 2007-08 published 5 June 2008, the ORR noted that two significant milestones were achieved on 5 and 29 May with the successful commissioning of new infrastructure on the Trent Valley four tracking project (Stages 1 and 3) and between Rugby and Nuneaton (Stage G).

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents of theft of British military supplies during transit from the port of debarkation in Pakistan to the final destination in Afghanistan have been reported since September 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: There have been 23 reports of theft of British military supplies during transit from the port of disembarkation in Pakistan to the final destination in Afghanistan in the period between 1 September 2007 and 17 July 2008 inclusive.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) tanks and  (b) armoured personnel carriers have been lost as a result of enemy action in Afghanistan during the last 12 months.

Des Browne: I am withholding detailed information regarding the numbers of protected mobility vehicles lost to enemy fire as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, operational security or effectiveness of the armed forces.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) scope and  (b) length of the NATO contract for civilian aircraft in Afghanistan is; what aircraft types are involved; and how many military flying hours they are planned to free up each year.

Des Browne: holding answer 14 July 2008
	The NATO contract for civilian aircraft in Regional Command (South) is for ten tonnes of lift per week until 31 January 2009. Mi-17 helicopters are being used to fulfil the contract. The contract was not let on the basis of releasing a set number of military flying hours; however, it is estimated that up to 95 military flying hours may be saved.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2008,  Official Report, column 175W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what the name was of each of the deceased; what the date was of each incident; what the  (a) location was and  (b) circumstances were of each incident; what the cause of death was in each case; and what the status is of each investigation.

Des Browne: The details of the investigations referred to in the previous answer are shown in the following table. I am withholding the names of the deceased for privacy reasons and to protect the security of the families of locally employed personnel.
	
		
			  Date  Location  Circumstances  Cause of death  Investigation status 
			 14 November 2005 Kabul Local national allegedly shot by UK forces carrying out force protection procedures Gunshot wound Closed 
			 19 May 2007 Gereshk Locally employed translator killed by an improvised explosive device Injuries from explosion Closed 
			 2 July 2007 Kandahar Local nationals allegedly shot by UK forces carrying out force protection procedures Gunshot wound Open 
			 7 November 2007 Kabul Local national allegedly shot by UK forces carrying out force protection procedures Gunshot wound Closed 
			 30 November 2007 Kajaki Locally employed translator killed by an improvised explosive device Injuries from explosion Closed 
			 24 December 2007 Baghran Local nationals allegedly killed by UK weapon effects Gunshot wounds Open 
			 3 April 2008 Now Zad Local national allegedly killed by UK weapon effects Mortar fire Open

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK personnel are deployed on operations, broken down by location.

Des Browne: The following table shows the number of UK service personnel deployed on operations by location at 23 June 2008. The number of personnel in theatre will naturally fluctuate on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including leave (rest and recuperation), temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces and other factors.
	
		
			  Number of personnel deployed by location( 1) 
			  Location  Number 
			 Total 15,970 
			  Of which:  
			 Afghanistan(2) 8,000 
			 Iraq(2) 4,300 
			 At Sea 1,660 
			 Kosovo 680 
			 Qatar 410 
			 Cyprus 270 
			 Oman 270 
			 Kuwait 170 
			 Bahrain 100 
			 Bosnia 10 
			 Other 30 
			 (1) Countries with 10 or more personnel are shown separately. Other countries with fewer than 10 personnel per country include Georgia, Nepal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia. (2 )Figures for Iraq and Afghanistan have been rounded to the nearest 100. Other figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Due to rounding methods used, the total may not equal the sum of the individual locations.

Armed Forces: Gyms

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on charging service personnel for use of garrison gyms;
	(2)  whether service personnel will be charged for the use of super-garrison gyms.

Derek Twigg: In Army garrisons, personnel use the gym facilities free of charge. At Aldershot and Tidworth where a public finance initiative contractor and local authority run the local sports and leisure centres, personnel are charged for using these facilities for non-military (i.e. personal) training outside of core hours. In both cases a small administration fee is charged for health and safety induction processes as well as swipe cards.
	Although super-garrisons are still at the concept stage, there are currently no plans to charge personnel for the use of gyms.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the waiting list targets for  (a) Ministry of Defence hospital units,  (b) regional rehabilitation units and  (c) Departments of Community Mental Health are; and what progress has been made towards these targets in each year since 2003.

Derek Twigg: Since financial year (FY) 2006-07 targets for Ministry of Defence hospital units (MDHUs) are for a percentage of patients to attend an outpatients appointment within four weeks of referral by their GP and, with a decision to admit, for a percentage of patients to receive treatment within six weeks; this equates to a 10-week care pathway from referral to treatment for those who need it. The average of targets placed on MDHUs and the actual performance against these targets since 2006-07 and 2007-08 are shown in the following table. Targets for 2008-09 are currently being negotiated with individual NHS hospital authorities that host MDHUs.
	
		
			   Percentage of patients to be seen as an outpatient within four weeks  Percentage of patients to receive treatment within 6 weeks of decision to admit 
			   Target  Actual  Target  Actual 
			 2006-07 61 59 56 61 
			 2007-08 67 53 59 59 
		
	
	These targets are more stringent than the current NHS target of 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment for 85 per cent. of patients. The contracts MOD holds with MDHU hosting hospitals enables accelerated access for Service patients to rapidly return them to combat effectiveness.
	Prior to 2006, targets for outpatients appointments at all MDHUs were for 45 per cent. of patients to be seen within four weeks of GP referral and 90 per cent. within 13 weeks. Following a decision to admit for treatment, the target was for 80 per cent. of patients to be treated within 13 weeks; this equates to a total care pathway of between 17 and 26 weeks from referral to treatment for those who needed it.
	
		
			   Percentage of patients to be seen as an outpatient within four weeks  Percentage of patients to be seen as an outpatient within 13 weeks  Percentage of patients to receive treatment within 13 weeks of decision to admit 
			   Target  Actual  Target  Actual  Target  Actual 
			 2003-04 45 46 90 87 80 77 
			 2004-05 45 46 90 93 80 75 
			 2005-06 45 46 90 93 80 74 
		
	
	Regional rehabilitation unit targets since 2006 are that, from point of referral, 100 per cent. of patients should attend an RRU within 10 working days; in the majority of cases this target is being met. Areas exceeding the target time are those experiencing high operational tempo (RRUs situated near to or within garrisons with a large numbers of troops returning from deployment); waiting times in these cases can be up to 15 days. Implementation of the recommendations of the recent Rehabilitation Review, which reported in May 2008, will re-balance resources to address this.
	Prior to the creation of the RRUs in 2005 the policy was that following an assessment by a GP or physiotherapist that a patient commenced treatment within seven days.
	Departments of Community Mental Health targets (DCMH) since 2004 are for 100 per cent of urgent cases to receive an appointment the next working day and for 100 per cent. of routine cases to be seen within 20 working days; these targets are being met, except in circumstances where the patient does not attend the arranged appointment. In addition, the target for access to in-patient care is four hours if deemed an emergency by Community Mental Health Units.
	I am unable to provide information on performance for RRUs and DCMHs for the years prior to those shown above as records are not readily available and it would incur disproportionate cost to produce data.

Armed Forces: Housing

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of the  (a) single living and  (b) service family accommodation provided by his Department in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas meets the decent home standard.

Derek Twigg: We have not carried out a specific comparison with the decent homes standard for either service family accommodation (SFA) or single living accommodation (SLA).
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has its own well defined criteria for assessing the condition of its properties. For the majority of SFA, this consists of a list of over 100 individual attributes that are assessed to arrive at an overall Standard for Condition (SfC) score for the property. SfC scores are banded into categories, S1fC the highest to S4fC the lowest. SfC assessment includes aspects such as the structure of the property, its energy efficiency, health and safety features, security arrangements and sanitary items as well as an assessment of the kitchen and bedrooms. On that basis, the majority of SFA is already at either S1fC or S2fC. This includes over 12,800 properties that have been upgraded to S1fC since 2001. By the end of this financial year, no Service family will have to live in S4fC accommodation.
	We are confident that the current SfC system used by the Department fully takes into account the four basic tenets of the decent homes standard. Rather than simply conforming to a minimum acceptable level of accommodation, MOD aspires to provide accommodation to a higher standard; and this is reflected in the criteria that must be met to achieve S1fC. (All eight categories must score at Standard 1 for the overall Standard for Condition to be 1).

Armed Forces: Housing

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's contract with Annington Homes.

Derek Twigg: I will arrange for a copy of the contract with Annington Homes Ltd to be placed in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Housing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when all housing accommodation for families of military personnel will be brought up to the highest ranked standard.

Derek Twigg: The Department is committed to providing decent accommodation for service personnel and their families.
	Addressing accommodation issues globally is one of our top priorities, but this will take time as there is no quick fix to dealing with a legacy of decades of under- funding. In addition to the significant investment in recent years, the Department will spend in excess of 8 billion on accommodation in the next decade, of which of over 3 billion will be on improvements and upgrades.
	Since 2001, some 13,000 service family accommodation properties have been upgraded to the top of four standards for condition, with a further 600 of the worse condition properties to be upgraded this financial year and 800 in each year thereafter.
	By the end of this financial year, no service families will have to live in the lowest standard of SFA. By 2012 all SFA will be at the top two standards for condition.

Armed Forces: Injuries

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the provision of legal advice and representation in connection with civil actions against his Department relating to illnesses and injuries sustained cost in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 21 July 2008
	 The information requested is not held in the format requested.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the trained  (a) requirement and  (b) strength of the (i) Territorial Army, (ii) Royal Naval Reserve, (iii) Royal Marine Reserve and (iv) Royal Auxiliary Air Force was in (A) 1997 and (B) the latest date for which figures are available.

Bob Ainsworth: Figures for the requirement are not available from 1997. The figures for 1997 and 2008 are therefore not completely comparable.
	
		
			   1997( 1)  May 2008 
			   Requirement  Total strength  Requirement  Trained strength 
			 Royal Naval Reserve (3)n/a (4)3,560 1,784 1,640 
			 Royal Marines Reserve (3) (4) 582 536 
			 Territorial Army n/a (2)51,690 30,274 19,940 
			 Royal Auxiliary Air Force n/a 1,360 2,000 778 
			 (1) Figures taken from DAS A Publication TSP07 UK Reserve and Cadets Strength at 1 April 2007. This includes trained and non-trained personnel. (2) For comparison with other Services, this number does not include non-regular permanent staff.

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what requirements are placed on vehicles in the British armed forces by EU environmental regulations.

Bob Ainsworth: The EU environmental regulation that places specific requirements on the vehicles of the UK armed forces is Regulation (EC) No 715/2007. This regulation establishes common technical requirements for the type approval of motor vehicles and replacement parts with regard to their emissions. In addition, it lays down rules for in-service conformity, durability of pollution control devices, on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems, measurement of fuel consumption and accessibility of vehicle repair and maintenance information. It applies to vehicles whose mass does not exceed 2,610 kg.
	It is our policy to comply with all relevant UK, EU and overseas legislation and, where granted specific exemptions from legislation, standards and arrangements are introduced that are, so far as reasonably practicable, at least as good as those required by legislation.

Armed Forces: Young People

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people who joined the armed forces at age 16 and 17 years in each of the last five years sought to leave the armed forces  (a) while under 18 years old and  (b) when 18 years old or more; and how many people who joined the armed forces as adults subsequently sought to leave the UK armed forces in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: Information on the number of people who joined the armed forces at age 16 and 17 years or as adults in each of the last five years is not centrally held and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Due to ongoing validation of data from the Joint Personnel Administration system, voluntary outflow application data are currently unavailable. Historical information on voluntary outflow applications and exits is published in Tri-Service Publication 5, 'UK Regular Forces outflow from trained strength to civil life' (TSP 5). Copies of the most recent and historical publications can be found at
	www.dasa.mod.uk.
	Information on the intake and outflow of the UK regular forces by age published in Tri-Service Publication 19, 'UK Regular Forces Intake and Outflow by age' (TSP 19). Copies of the most recent and historical publications can be found at
	www.dasa.mod.uk.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what location training for Mastiff armoured vehicles is conducted.

Bob Ainsworth: Training on Mastiff armoured vehicles is conducted in a number of locations depending on the type of training undertaken. Technical and maintenance training is conducted at the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering in Bordon, Hampshire. Driver training is conducted at the Defence School of Transport, Leconfield in Yorkshire. Mastiff vehicles are used in Pre-Deployment Training, which can take place on a number of military training areas both in the United Kingdom and Germany. Mastiff vehicles are also used for in-theatre training in Kuwait/Iraq and Afghanistan.

Central Africa: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which EU member states are contributing to the EU military mission to Chad and the Central African Republic; and what each is contributing.

Bob Ainsworth: 18 EU member states are contributing troops and/or equipment in the area of operations (AOO) of the EU military mission to Chad and the Central African Republic. Current contributions are given as follows:
	
		
			  Country  Approximate troops  Significant equipment 
			 Austria 170  
			 Belgium 95  
			 Bulgaria 2  
			 Czech Republic 2  
			 Finland 60  
			 France 1,685 Nine helicopters (Pumas and Gazelles), two Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) 
			 Greece 4 One C-130 aircraft 
			 Ireland 415 Mowag Piranha III light armoured personnel carriers 
			 Italy 100  
			 Luxembourg 2  
			 Netherlands 70  
			 Poland 305 Two Mi-17 helicopters 
			 Portugal 2 One C-130 aircraft 
			 Romania 2  
			 Slovenia 15  
			 Spain 90 Two CASA C-295 aircraft 
			 Sweden 140  
			 United Kingdom 2  
		
	
	22 EU member states are represented at the multinational Operation Headquarters established at Mont Valerian, Paris to plan and conduct this operation. Current contributions are given as follows:
	
		
			  Country  Approximate troops 
			 Austria 4 
			 Belgium 6 
			 Bulgaria 1 
			 Cyprus 2 
			 Czech Republic 1 
			 Finland 2 
			 France 80 
			 Germany 4 
			 Greece 3 
			 Hungary 3 
			 Ireland 20 
			 Italy 4 
			 Lithuania 2 
			 Netherlands 3 
			 Poland 6 
			 Portugal 6 
			 Romania 4 
			 Slovakia 1 
			 Slovenia 1 
			 Spain 4 
			 Sweden 6 
			 United Kingdom 2

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what purchasing process is used by his Department for the procurement of alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Derek Twigg: Expenditure on alcohol at public expense is governed by the general principles of financial propriety set out in Government Accounting and the MOD's own regulations for the provision of official entertainment promulgated in Joint Services Publication 462, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Compensation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the 10 highest payments made by his Department were under property compensation cases brought against it over the last 12 months for which figures are available; which of the cases were  (a) contested and  (b) uncontested by his Department; and what the nature of each incident was.

Derek Twigg: The 10 highest compensation payments made against property damage claims in the last 12 months are as follows:
	
		
			
			 Damage to charter aircraft 352,872 
			 Damage to charter aircraft 338,895 
			 Damage to locomotive 145,832 
			 Injury to horses caused by low flying military aircraft 39,987 
			 Injury to livestock plus damage to crops and fencing caused by low lying military aircraft 38,936 
			 Damage to hangar roof caused by low flying military aircraft 20,966 
			 Game birds lost due to low flying military aircraft 19,551 
			 Dairy cows destroyed as a result of low flying military aircraft 17,535 
			 Free range hens killed due to low flying military aircraft 13,095 
			 Injury to horse caused by low flying military aircraft 12,443 
		
	
	All the claims were settled without recourse to litigation.

Departmental Computers

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of computer devices left on overnight in his Department when not in use and  (b) the cost of leaving computer devices on overnight when not in use in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Statistics on the numbers of computer devices left on overnight in the Department are not held.
	MOD is co-operating with other Government Departments to take forward Government's Green IT Strategy, which includes aims to reduce energy consumption of computer equipment. We encourage the switching off of computer devices when not in use and have issued instructions to that effect.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efficiency savings for the funding of regional prime contracts were  (a) targeted and  (b) achieved in each year since 2005.

Derek Twigg: No efficiency savings in the funding have been imposed on regional prime contracts since the contracts were awarded and funding allocated.
	Part of the strategy in implementing the regional prime contracts was to achieve additional output, through betterment to the estate, at the same level of funding. These value for money efficiencies contribute to the Department's Estate Modernisation Efficiencies and are reported in the annual departmental accounts.

Departmental ICT

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 95W, on departmental ICT, when he expects to provide a substantive answer.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 16 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 446-48W.

Duchess of Kent's Psychiatric Unit: Operating Costs

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the maintenance cost of the Duchess of Kent's psychiatric unit was in each of the last five years of its operation.

Derek Twigg: The Duchess of Kent's psychiatric unit closed in 2003. Maintenance and works costs for the last five years of its operation are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Maintenance and works costs ( million) 
			 1998-99 0.9 
			 1999-2000 0.4 
			 2000-01 0.7 
			 2001-02 0.9 
			 2002-03 0.5

EC Defence Policy

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Government support the French proposals for a  (a) European aeronaval group,  (b) joint fleet of military transporters,  (c) joint fleet of European helicopters,  (d) European satellite observation system and  (e) permanent EU defence military planning headquarters.

Des Browne: The Government have not seen any specific plans in respect of the initiatives listed. But at the UK/France summit in March this year, the two Governments agreed to co-operate to develop European military capabilities, available to both the EU and NATO, in a number of fields. The UK Government do not support any proposals for a permanent EU defence military planning headquarters.

Government Decontamination Service: Telephone Services

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what income his Department received from the Government Decontamination Service 0845 number in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06.

Derek Twigg: None.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the objective is of the Iraq culture brief in the Civilians Deployed on Operations pre-Deployment Preparation Course Phase 2 at Chetwynd Barracks;
	(2)  what process is used to select the instructors for the Iraq culture brief for the Civilians Deployed on Operations pre-Deployment Preparation Course Phase 2 at Chetwynd Barracks;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the Iraq culture presentation given to the Civilians Deployed on Operations pre-Deployment Preparation Course Phase 2 on 10 July 2008 at Chetwynd Barracks.

Des Browne: The objectives of the Iraq culture brief given to civilians that are to deploy in support of operations in Iraq, is to provide a basic understanding of the main cultural and social conventions of the country. This enables civilians to interact with the local Iraqi population more confidently and successfully if they are called to do so once deployed in theatre.
	The Iraq culture brief is delivered by Iraqi nationals, provided under contractual arrangements. Those giving the cultural brief must hold the appropriate security clearances.
	A copy of the presentation given at Chetwynd Barracks on 10 July 2008 is currently being obtained and I will place it in the Library of the House when it becomes available.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether departmental civilian staff deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are issued with  (a) mosquito nets and  (b) insect repellent before leaving the UK.

Derek Twigg: There is a significant risk of malaria in most non-mountainous regions of Afghanistan. Where civilian staff are accommodated in tents, they are provided in theatre with a mosquito net treated with insecticide. Where staff are accommodated in buildings equipped with fly screens on windows and double doors to the exterior, such nets are not required. Insect repellent is also made available in theatre. Where the medical risk assessment deems it necessary, MOD civilian staff are also provided with anti-malarial prophylaxis prior to deployment.
	Malaria risks in Iraq are rather lower and seasonal, especially in Basra, where the bulk of the UK military force is based. Notwithstanding, mosquito nets treated with insecticide are again provided for all personnel who are not provided with suitably protected accommodation. Insect repellent is also made available in theatre. Anti-malarial prophylaxis is assessed to be unnecessary for deployments to Iraq.

Nimrod Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many instances of fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft have been recorded in the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox, dated 21 May:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Questions on 21 November 2007, (Official Report, Column 990W) and 20 May 2008 (Official Report, Column 181W) about fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft.
	The Nimrod Integrated Project Team within Defence Equipment and Support (DES) is carrying out a detailed manual analysis of fuel leak data in order to answer your questions. Unfortunately, this is proving to be a time consuming process because the work has been disrupted by the corruption of the relevant database at RAF Kinloss. I am sorry that this has led to the delay in answering your questions, but I expect this analysis to be complete within the next four weeks.
	In November 2006, after the loss of Nimrod XV230, DES introduced new mandatory fuel leak reporting procedures (known as 'Leaflet 70 reports') on all leaks associated with fuel tanks within the fuselage, the fuel system and any residual fuel found in specific areas of the aircraft (such as the bomb bay). So far our analysis indicates that since the introduction of these procedures, 111 fuel leaks (of varying degrees of severity) have been recorded under Leaflet 70. Of course, once the outcome of the ongoing detailed analysis of fuel leak data by DES is known, I will write to you again.
	I should point out that following a recent request by the Oxfordshire Coroner relating to fuel leaks reported under Leaflet 70 we have provided the same information to him. In light of this, I was keen to ensure that you received this information as quickly as possible.
	I am copying this letter to Ian Liddell-Grainger and Sir Nicholas Winterton, who have expressed an interest in this subject.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox, dated 13 July:
	I wrote to you on 21 May 2008 in answer to two Parliamentary Questions that you tabled about fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft. I explained that the Nimrod Integrated Project Team within Defence Equipment and Support (DES) was carrying out a detailed manual analysis of fuel leak data in order to answer your questions.
	This work has now been completed and I can now provide you with a full response. In your first question on 21 November 2007, (Official Report, Column 990W) you asked how many instances of fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft had been recorded in the last 12 months. This was taken to be the period from 1 November 2006 to 31 October 2007. A fuel leak is defined as any leakage of fuel from aircraft couplings, pipes or fuel tanks. In that period, there were a total of 252 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. In your second question on 20 May 2008 (Official Report, Column 181W) you asked how many fuel leaks had been reported since January 2007. Between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2007 there were 277 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. Based on current data, between 1 January 2008 and 31 March 2008 (the last full month for which validated data is available), there have been a total of 33 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. That figure is however provisional, as some records have yet to be received from aircraft deployed on operations, and it is therefore likely to increase as the records are completed.
	The figures quoted above do not include fuel leaks which are caused by our scheduled maintenance activity, as we disturb the fuel system. In these cases the leak is both caused and rectified while on the ground.
	Although all aircraft are designed to be leak tolerant, all fuel leaks are thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, the measures implemented following the loss of Nimrod XV230 mean that the chance of any fuel leak Igniting is extremely low. In particular we have, as you know, removed potential sources of ignition by switching off the aircraft's very hot air system while airborne; it is used for short periods on the ground but does not reach temperatures sufficient to ignite fuel. Despite this, no leakage, however small, from pipes, couplings or fuselage tanks is accepted and the aircraft will not fly until such leaks have been rectified. The only occasion on which an aircraft will fly with a fuel leak is with certain categories of leaks from the integral fuel tanks in the wings. In such instances leaking fuel from the wing tanks disperses safely into the aircraft's slipstream, and, as there is no potential source of ignition, there is no hazard to the aircraft.
	Of the 310 fuel leaks reported between 1 January 2007 and 31 March 2008 over 50 per cent were leaks from integral fuel tanks in the wings, in which fuel would simply pass into the aircraft's slipstream during flight. In each of these reported incidents, whether from the integral fuel tanks in the wings or elsewhere, the fuel leaks did not compromise the safety of the aircraft and were rectified by normal maintenance procedures.
	In my letter of 21 May, I stated that in November 2006, after the loss of Nimrod XV230, DES introduced new mandatory fuel leak reporting procedures (known as 'Leaflet 70 reports') on all leaks associated with fuel tanks within the fuselage, the fuel system and on any residual fuel found in specific areas of the aircraft (such as the bomb bay). I also explained that since the introduction of these procedures, 111 fuel leaks (of varying degrees of severity) had been recorded under Leaflet 70. This procedure will continue to bring fuel leaks in the fuselage to the immediate attention of the DES Nimrod Integrated Project Team. The current maintenance policy for the Nimrod fuel system remains appropriate.
	With respect to the airworthiness of the aircraft today, we have ceased air-to-air refuelling and ceased the use of very hot air systems in flight. These measures, together with the enhanced aircraft maintenance and inspection procedures introduced since the Nimrod XV230 crash ensure the aircraft, as it is today, is safe to fly. Indeed, my Department having carefully considered all the issues has declared that all reasonably practicable measures have been taken to reduce the risk of fire and explosion to As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). The work to reach this position has been contributed to by key stakeholders represented on the Nimrod Platform Equipment Safety Committee (comprising representatives of the DES Nimrod Integrated Project Team, Air Command, the Release to Service Authority, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and QinetiQ) which supports this declaration.
	In addition, to ensure we can continue to operate the aircraft efficiently until its planned retirement from service, we have in place a programme of more permanent measures which includes replacing, where judged necessary, fuel seals and engine bay hot air ducts on the aircraft, this work is being progressed as quickly as practicable.
	I am copying this letter to Ian Liddell-Grainger and Sir Nicholas Winterton, who have previously expressed an interest in this subject.

Nimrod Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fuel leakages on a Nimrod aircraft have been reported since January 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox, dated 21 May:
	I undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Questions on 21 November 2007, (Official Report, Column 990W) and 20 May 2008 (Official Report, Column 181W) about fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft.
	The Nimrod Integrated Project Team within Defence Equipment and Support (DES) is carrying out a detailed manual analysis of fuel leak data in order to answer your questions. Unfortunately, this is proving to be a time consuming process because the work has been disrupted by the corruption of the relevant database at RAF Kinloss. I am sorry that this has led to the delay in answering your questions, but I expect this analysis to be complete within the next four weeks.
	In November 2006, after the loss of Nimrod XV230, DES introduced new mandatory fuel leak reporting procedures (known as 'Leaflet 70 reports') on all leaks associated with fuel tanks within the fuselage, the fuel system and any residual fuel found in specific areas of the aircraft (such as the bomb bay). So far our analysis indicates that since the introduction of these procedures, 111 fuel leaks (of varying degrees of severity) have been recorded under Leaflet 70. Of course, once the outcome of the ongoing detailed analysis of fuel leak data by DES is known, I will write to you again.
	I should point out that following a recent request by the Oxfordshire Coroner relating to fuel leaks reported under Leaflet 70 we have provided the same information to him. In light of this, I was keen to ensure that you received this information as quickly as possible.
	I am copying this letter to Ian Liddell-Grainger and Sir Nicholas Winterton, who have expressed an interest in this subject.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox, dated 13 July:
	I wrote to you on 21 May 2008 in answer to two Parliamentary Questions that you tabled about fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft. I explained that the Nimrod Integrated Project Team within Defence Equipment and Support (DES) was carrying out a detailed manual analysis of fuel leak data in order to answer your questions.
	This work has now been completed and I can now provide you with a full response. In your first question on 21 November 2007, (Official Report, Column 990W) you asked how many instances of fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft had been recorded in the last 12 months. This was taken to be the period from 1 November 2006 to 31 October 2007. A fuel leak is defined as any leakage of fuel from aircraft couplings, pipes or fuel tanks. In that period, there were a total of 252 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. In your second question on 20 May 2008 (Official Report, Column 181W) you asked how many fuel leaks had been reported since January 2007. Between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2007 there were 277 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. Based on current data, between 1 January 2008 and 31 March 2008 (the last full month for which validated data is available), there have been a total of 33 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. That figure is however provisional, as some records have yet to be received from aircraft deployed on operations, and it is therefore likely to increase as the records are completed.
	The figures quoted above do not include fuel leaks which are caused by our scheduled maintenance activity, as we disturb the fuel system. In these cases the leak is both caused and rectified while on the ground.
	Although all aircraft are designed to be leak tolerant, all fuel leaks are thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, the measures implemented following the loss of Nimrod XV230 mean that the chance of any fuel leak Igniting is extremely low. In particular we have, as you know, removed potential sources of ignition by switching off the aircraft's very hot air system while airborne; it is used for short periods on the ground but does not reach temperatures sufficient to ignite fuel. Despite this, no leakage, however small, from pipes, couplings or fuselage tanks is accepted and the aircraft will not fly until such leaks have been rectified. The only occasion on which an aircraft will fly with a fuel leak is with certain categories of leaks from the integral fuel tanks in the wings. In such instances leaking fuel from the wing tanks disperses safely into the aircraft's slipstream, and, as there is no potential source of ignition, there is no hazard to the aircraft.
	Of the 310 fuel leaks reported between 1 January 2007 and 31 March 2008 over 50 per cent were leaks from integral fuel tanks in the wings, in which fuel would simply pass into the aircraft's slipstream during flight. In each of these reported incidents, whether from the integral fuel tanks in the wings or elsewhere, the fuel leaks did not compromise the safety of the aircraft and were rectified by normal maintenance procedures.
	In my letter of 21 May, I stated that in November 2006, after the loss of Nimrod XV230, DES introduced new mandatory fuel leak reporting procedures (known as 'Leaflet 70 reports') on all leaks associated with fuel tanks within the fuselage, the fuel system and on any residual fuel found in specific areas of the aircraft (such as the bomb bay). I also explained that since the introduction of these procedures, 111 fuel leaks (of varying degrees of severity) had been recorded under Leaflet 70. This procedure will continue to bring fuel leaks in the fuselage to the immediate attention of the DES Nimrod Integrated Project Team. The current maintenance policy for the Nimrod fuel system remains appropriate.
	With respect to the airworthiness of the aircraft today, we have ceased air-to-air refuelling and ceased the use of very hot air systems in flight. These measures, together with the enhanced aircraft maintenance and inspection procedures introduced since the Nimrod XV230 crash ensure the aircraft, as it is today, is safe to fly. Indeed, my Department having carefully considered all the issues has declared that all reasonably practicable measures have been taken to reduce the risk of fire and explosion to As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). The work to reach this position has been contributed to by key stakeholders represented on the Nimrod Platform Equipment Safety Committee (comprising representatives of the DES Nimrod Integrated Project Team, Air Command, the Release to Service Authority, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and QinetiQ) which supports this declaration.
	In addition, to ensure we can continue to operate the aircraft efficiently until its planned retirement from service, we have in place a programme of more permanent measures which includes replacing, where judged necessary, fuel seals and engine bay hot air ducts on the aircraft, this work is being progressed as quickly as practicable.
	I am copying this letter to Ian Liddell-Grainger and Sir Nicholas Winterton, who have previously expressed an interest in this subject.

Nuclear Weapons: Safety Measures

Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place with regard to the  (a) design and  (b) handling of nuclear weapons to ensure that there is no popcorning or accidental explosion; what procedures are in place to ensure public safety in the event of popcorning; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The theoretical phenomenon known as popcorning is a process whereby a series of accidental detonations of a number of warheads' conventional explosives could lead to some nuclear yield. This is extremely unlikely and could occur only if the warheads were located in close proximity to each other without mitigation. Warheads are designed such that there cannot be a nuclear detonation without authorisation.
	Warhead handling, transit and storage facilities, and processes are designed to reduce the risk of popcorning to 'As Low As Reasonably Practicable' levels by, for example, separating stored warheads and having physical shielding between them. Similarly, moves of warheads are planned and executed to minimise the proximity of warheads to each other.
	Safety in the nuclear weapons programme is of paramount importance. There are well-rehearsed generic response plans in place to protect workers and the general public in the unlikely event of an accident; all measures are taken to ensure acceptable levels of safety throughout the life cycle of the Trident warhead.

RAF St. Athan

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on the proposed Defence Training Academy at St. Athan of the cancellation of major house building projects in the area by Persimmon and other construction and house building companies.

Bob Ainsworth: The Defence Training Review Package 1 Project has a requirement for service families accommodation in the St. Athan region from 2013. An Assessment Study has been commissioned by MOD to identify the best value for money options to procure housing for servicemen based at the Defence Technical Academy. This is likely to increase demand for housing in the area in the future. The MOD is therefore working alongside the Vale of Glamorgan, as the planning authority responsible for ensuring demand capacity can be accommodated, to examine how our housing requirements might be met.

RAF St. Athan

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the likely effect of the construction of Olympic facilities for 2012 on availability of construction workers to work on the construction of St. Athan Defence Training Academy.

Bob Ainsworth: Officials have already assessed the impacts of construction industry demand capacity on the proposed construction of the Defence Technical Academy at St. Athan. Populating an Office of Government Commerce simulation model, the data and advice received have indicated that construction of the Olympic facilities for 2012 is not expected to cause any significant implications for the local construction environment in the Vale of Glamorgan.

RAF St. Athan

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the purpose is of his Department's consultation on the proposed Defence and Training Academy at St. Athan; and how long the consultation will last.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 July 2008,  Official Report, column 314W.
	The consultation process will end when planning consent is granted for the development. This will complete the planning process, and is expected to be in October 2009.

RAF St. Athan

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which troops will be trained at the Defence Training Academy at St. Athan; and how they will be selected.

Bob Ainsworth: The scope of training within package 1 of the Defence Training Review to be delivered at the proposed Defence Technical Academy at St. Athan are specialist phase 2 and phase 3 engineering courses of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. They include those courses delivered today within the Defence Colleges of Aeronautical Engineering, Electro-mechanical Engineering and Communications and Information Systems. Phase 2 training involves initial trade training for the armed forces; phase 3 training involves continuous professional development. In addition, some training of overseas troops in the same disciplines may take place under current Defence relations arrangements.

Reserve Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists are serving on operations overseas, broken down by location.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 31 May 2008, reservists are serving on operations overseas as follows:
	
		
			  Location  Op Name  Number of reservists serving 
			 Iraq Joint Operational Area TELIC 217 
			 Afghanistan Joint Operational Area HERRICK 603 
			 Balkans OCULUS 20 
			 Cyprus TOSCA 36 
			 Global Counter-Terrorism  12 
		
	
	In addition there were a further 572 reservists in full-time service within the UK and in other permanent joint operational bases; this includes those undergoing pre-deployment training, and those on post-deployment leave. There were also on average 50 Sponsored Reserves mobilised at any one time during this month (May 2008), most of whom will have served at one time or another in an operational area. A further 1,844 personnel were serving on Full Time Reserve Service contracts, and some of these will be in an operational area, but further details of their individual locations are not held centrally.

Selly Oak Hospital

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many bed-days were accounted for by service in-patients in each ward at Selly Oak Hospital in each month since the opening of the military-managed ward.

Derek Twigg: We do not collect statistics in the format requested.

USA: Nuclear Weapons

Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many US nuclear warheads are based in the United Kingdom; when he last discussed with the US authorities their withdrawal of warheads from the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1154W, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock). It is not the practice of the Government to make public details of all discussions with foreign Governments as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice international relations.

Vanguard Class Submarines

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) unit cost and  (b) date of commissioning of each Vanguard class submarine was.

Bob Ainsworth: The commissioning dates for the four Vanguard class submarines are listed in the following table.
	
		
			  Submarine  Date commissioned 
			 HMS Vanguard 21 August 1993 
			 HMS Victorious 7 January 1995 
			 HMS Vigilant 2 November 1996 
			 HMS Vengeance 27 November 1999 
		
	
	The total procurement cost for the four submarines was 3,587 million, which equates to approximately 897 million per submarine.

Wind Power

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what pre-application enquiries to his Department or Defence Estates for onshore wind turbines received an objection from his Department between 1 January and 30 June 2008; and what percentage this represented of the overall number of pre-application enquiries received.

Derek Twigg: All wind farm applications that we assess are subject to individual consideration. We consider a range of factors such as safety or the impact on Air Defence or Air Traffic radars. Concerns will only be lodged with pre-applications if the operational impact is assessed as being unmanageable. Even where concerns are raised, mitigation options will be suggested to the developer where possible.
	Between 1 January and 30 June 2008, the Department expressed concerns about 82 onshore wind turbine pre-planning application enquiries. This represented 14 per cent. of the overall number received in that period.

Wind Power

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what planning applications for onshore wind turbines his Department did not initially object to but objected to during a public enquiry in the period 1 January to 30 June 2008.

Derek Twigg: Between 1 January and 30 June 2008, after initially confirming it had no objections during the pre-planning consultation stage, the Ministry of Defence did not object to any planning applications for onshore wind turbines during a public inquiry.

HEALTH

Drugs: Equality of Access

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to achieve equality between areas in access to drugs approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The NHS Constitution gives patients an explicit right to drugs and treatments that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for use in the NHS. This will help to ensure equality of access to NICE recommended treatments throughout the NHS in England.

Drugs: Equality of Access

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to achieve equality between areas in access to drugs approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The NHS Constitution gives patients an explicit right to drugs and treatments that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for use in the NHS. This will help to ensure equality of access to NICE recommended treatments throughout the NHS in England.

Primary Care Trust Allocations

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to announce the revenue allocations to primary care trusts for 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Ben Bradshaw: We will issue PCT allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11 alongside the NHS operating framework for the NHS in October.

Rural GPs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the ability of rural GPs to dispense to patients living a mile or more away from a GP surgery; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: We have not received any representations concerning the ability of rural GPs to dispense to patients living a mile or more away from a GP surgery.
	There are some proposals in the White Paper which suggest ways in which dispensing services may be provided but any final decisions on future criteria will be taken in the light of the responses and feedback received to the consultation.

GPs: Barnsley

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs there are in Barnsley; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: There are 128 GPs in the Barnsley primary care trust area. I am pleased to report that under the proposals in the NHS next stage review Barnsley PCT will be developing three additional GP surgeries and a GP-led health centre.

NHS Dentistry

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of levels of access to NHS dentistry.

Ann Keen: Latest data show that 27.3 million people saw an NHS dentist at least once in the 24 months ending December 2007.
	We are committed to increasing access to NHS dentistry, and have made this a requirement for PCTs in the NHS operating framework. We have increased dental funding by 11 per cent. this year to a total of 2.081 billion.

Doctors: Ethics

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on whether NHS doctors should be permitted to refrain from providing medical care to patients on the basis of the personal religious or other beliefs of the doctor other than under statute.

Ben Bradshaw: National health service doctors are under a professional obligation to provide medical care to their patients.
	This says:
	If carrying out a particular procedure or giving advice about it conflicts with your religious or moral beliefs, and this conflict might affect the treatment or advice you provide, you must explain this to the patient and tell them they have the right to see another doctor. You must be satisfied that the patient has sufficient information to enable them to exercise that right. If it is not practical for a patient to arrange to see another doctor, you must ensure that arrangements are made for another suitably qualified colleague to take over your role.

Patient Choice

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to extend patients' ability to choose their GP practice.

Ben Bradshaw: Most people already have the freedom to choose their own general practitioner (GP) but in too many places there is no real choice. Proposals outlined in our new Primary and Community Care strategy, 'NHS Next Stage Review, Our Vision for Primary and Community Care', earlier this month will ensure people enjoy a real choice of GP, just as they already do of hospital.

Healthy Lifestyles

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps the Government have taken to encourage people to adopt healthy lifestyles.

Dawn Primarolo: Firstly we are providing comprehensive information to help individuals and families make healthy choices in their lives. Secondly we are increasing support to those who want to make positive changes in their lifestylesgiving greatest support to those who need most help. Finally we are building partnerships with all stakeholders.

Stroke Care Services

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals in England are able to provide hyper-acute stroke care services, including constant access to effective brain scanning followed by professional interpretation; and if he will take steps to increase this number.

Ann Keen: The latest audit round to take place, in 2006, showed that 196 hospitals in England have a stroke unit. This is 97 per cent. of all hospitals in England. All these hospitals have a consultant physician responsible for stroke.
	In 2006, nearly all hospitals had facilities to scan the brain. Over 90 per cent. of stroke units providing acute care had access to brain imaging within 24 hours of admission.
	The National Stroke Strategy and the supporting Imaging Guide outline the characteristics of gold standard stroke services and provide useful information on how to implement the changes needed to achieve them.

Patient Dignity

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms are in place to ensure patient dignity in the NHS.

Ivan Lewis: Our Dignity in Care campaign aims to create zero tolerance of abuse and disrespect of older people in all care settings. Over 2,500 people have signed up as dignity champions, committed to improving dignity in their local care services.
	In October 2007, we launched the Nutrition Action Plan to address issues that emerged from the campaign about older people's nutrition. A Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board has been set up to ensure delivery of the Action Plan commitments.
	On 30 June, we launched for consultation a groundbreaking constitution for the NHS. The constitution enshrines the principles and values of the NHS for the future. It makes clear that patients have a right to be treated with dignity and respect.
	Also on 30 June, we published: High quality Care for All: NHS Next Stage Review Final Report, which confirms that dignity and respect should be a core value of the NHS.
	On 16 July, we launched the End of Life Care Strategy, backed with 286 million, to provide high quality care for all adults approaching the end of their life. It will help more people to die in the setting they choose, mainly at home surrounded by loved ones. A key part of the strategy is encouraging services that respect dignity at the end of life.
	We are committed to reducing hospital mixed-sex accommodation to an absolute minimum and to ensuring that where the need to treat a person takes precedence over complete gender separation, everything possible is done to maximise privacy and dignity.

Dispensing Medicine: Market Entry

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for his Department's forthcoming consultation on control of market entry for dispensing medicine.

Dawn Primarolo: As I announced in my written ministerial statement on 17 July 2008, the consultation on a number of proposals in our pharmacy White Paper will start next month.

NHS Next Stage Review

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which private health companies made submissions to the NHS next stage review.

Ben Bradshaw: Among the 200 submissions received nationally as part of the NHS next stage review were submissions from BUPA, Spire Healthcare, The Priory Group, UnitedHealth Europe, Assura Group and Abbott UK.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from hon. and right hon. Members wishing to liberalise the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967; what response he has given; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: During 2008, we have received 245 letters from hon. Members on issues relating to abortion and about the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, some of which have mentioned abortion. Records are not kept on how many of these support or oppose liberalising the law on abortion.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has  (a) issued and  (b) plans to issue during the next 12 months on the definition of a serious handicap as grounds for an abortion; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has commissioned the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to review its guideline 'Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormality' (January 1996).
	The revised guideline should be completed by autumn 2009.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed under ground  (a) A,  (b) B,  (c) C,  (d) D,  (e) E,  (f) F and  (g) G of the Abortion Act 1967 in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Legal abortions by grounds, residents of England and Wales, 2006 and 2007 
			  Grounds  2006  2007 
			 A (alone, or with B, C, D) or F or G 149 112 
			 B (alone, or with C or D) 1,059 622 
			 C (alone) 187,740 193,592 
			 D (alone, or with C) 2,753 2,234 
			 E (alone, or with A, B, C or D) 2,036 1,939 
			
			 Total 193,737 198,499

Abortion: Drugs

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what legislation regulates the selling of abortion drugs on the internet; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will bring forward legislation to restrict the selling of abortion drugs on the internet; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: In the United Kingdom, there are strict legal controls on the retail sale, supply and advertisement of medicinal products which are set out in the Medicines Act 1968. These legal controls apply equally to medicines for human use sold or supplied via internet or e-mail transactions. Prescription-only medicines may only be sold or supplied in accordance with a doctor's prescription at registered pharmacy premises, or by an internet pharmacy which has been approved by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and bears the relevant logo, or under the supervision of a pharmacist.
	Websites supplying medicines that are based overseas, or fulfil orders from overseas, are outside the jurisdiction of the UK medicines regulatory authority.
	Generally, medicines that are brought into the UK by an individual for his or her own personal use or that of a member of his/her family are not subject to the controls of medicines legislation.
	There are no plans at this time to change medicines legislation.

Abortion: Teenage Pregnancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were performed on people aged  (a) 10,  (b) 11,  (c) 12,  (d) 13,  (e) 14,  (f) 15 and  (g) 16 years old at (i) less than nine weeks, (ii) nine to 12 weeks, (iii) 13 to 16 weeks, (iv) 17 to 20 weeks, (v) 21 to 24 weeks and (vi) 24 weeks and over gestation on each of the seven grounds in the Abortion Act 1967 in (A) 2006 and (B) 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Abortions by age under 17, gestation and grounds, residents of England and Wales, 2007 
			   Gestation weeks 
			  Age at termination  under nine  Nine to 12  13 to 16  17 to 20  21 and over  Total 
			  Under 14 years   
			 Ground C and other(1) 68 65 18 (2) (2) 163 
			
			  14 years   
			 Ground C and other(1) 474 373 101 (2) (2) 1,008 
			
			  15 years   
			 Ground C and other(1) 1,525 1,178 309 129 64 3,205 
			
			  16 years   
			 Ground C(1,3) 3,305 2,333 573 215 101  
			 Other(1,3) 15 31 (2) (2) (2)  
			 Total 3,320 2,364 573 215 101 6,573 
			
			 Total 5,387 3,980 1,001 391 190 10,949 
		
	
	
		
			  Abortions by age under 17, gestation and grounds, residents of England and Wales, 2006 
			   Gestation weeks 
			  Age at termination  under nine  nine to 12  13 to 16  17 to 20  21 and over  Total 
			  Under 14 years   
			 Ground C and other(1) 50 54 13 (2) (2) 135 
			
			  14 years   
			 Ground C and other(1) 358 381 107 (2) (2) 907 
			
			  15 years   
			 Ground C and other(1) 1,144 1,347 277 117 63 2,948 
			
			  16 years   
			 Ground C(1,3) 2,222 2,667 594 223 87  
			 Other(1,3) 36 30 (2) (2) (2)  
			 Total 2,258 2,697 594 223 87 5,859 
			
			 Total 3,810 4,479 991 387 182 9,849 
			 (1) where Ground C is grouped with other grounds totals for other grounds are less than 10. (2) Suppressed value less than 10 (between 0 and nine). (3) For gestations 13 weeks and over other grounds are included in the Ground C total.  Note: Totals for individual years under age 14 are suppressed for confidentiality reasons. This suppression is in line with the Office for National Statistics' guidance on the disclosure of abortion statistics (2005).

Abortion: Teenage Pregnancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on the availability of abortions to girls under the age of 16 years without parental knowledge or consent; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many recent representations he has received  (a) supporting and  (b) opposing the introduction of legislation requiring that the parent or guardian of a girl under 16 years of age is informed before an abortion is performed on her; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Young people aged under 16 are legally able to consent to medical advice and treatment, including abortion, if a doctor or other health care worker judges them competent to do so. As such, they are entitled to the same duty of care and confidentiality as older patients.
	For those young women seeking an abortion, guidance from the Department of Health emphasises that health professionals should discuss the benefits of the young women involving her parents. Where she cannot be persuaded to do so, every effort should be made to find another adult to provide support, for example another family member or specialist youth worker.
	The duty of confidentiality is not absolute. There will be instances when information needs to be shared with social services and/or the police without consentwhere the young person is engaged in an abusive or coercive relationship, or there is another over-riding public interest to do so such as the prevention or detection of serious crime.
	The High Court ruled in 2006 that the guidance is fully in line with the law.
	The Department has received around 230 letters on abortion during 2008. We are unable to break this down in the format requested.

Abortion: Teenage Pregnancy

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many abortions were carried out on women aged  (a) 19,  (b) 18,  (c) 17,  (d) 16,  (e) 15,  (f) 14 and  (g) 13 years in England in each of the last three years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region;
	(2)  how many births there were to mothers aged  (a) 19,  (b) 18,  (c) 17,  (d) 16,  (e) 15,  (f) 14 and  (g) 13 years had in England in each of the last three years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region.

Tom Watson: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many births there were to mothers aged (a) 19, (b) 18, (c) 17, (d) 16, (e) 15, (f) 14 and (g) 13 years in England in each of the last three years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region and how many abortions were carried out on females aged (a) 19, (b) 18, (c) 17, (d) 16, (e) 15, (f) 14 and (g) 13 years in England in each of the last three years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region. (220140, 220141)
	Available figures are estimates of the number of conceptions resulting in one or more live or stillbirths (a maternity) or an abortion.
	To preserve confidentiality of individuals, figures for girls aged 13 and 14 have not been provided separately. Number of conceptions leading to a maternity or an abortion for girls aged under 15, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 for England and Government Office Regions for 2004 to 2006 (the most recent year for which figures are available), are shown in the attached table. Figures for 2006 are provisional.
	
		
			  Number of conceptions leading to a maternity or an abortion to women aged under 20 by single years of age, Government office region and England, 2004 to 2006 
			   Conceptions leading to a maternity  Conceptions leading to an abortion 
			   Age of mother at conception  Age of mother at conception 
			  Area  Under 15  15  16  17  18  19  Under 15  15  16  17  18  19 
			  2004 
			  England 730 2,313 6,886 11,435 15,842 19,331 1,246 2,892 5,893 8,198 9,805 10,484 
			  
			 North East 51 179 501 774 1,072 1,256 77 174 334 425 471 512 
			 North West 103 387 1,207 1,908 2,593 3,113 162 424 885 1,192 1,370 1,391 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 103 306 920 1,545 2,028 2,412 136 326 602 760 909 941 
			 East Midlands 82 218 654 1,035 1,405 1,644 107 203 453 616 736 764 
			 West Midlands 97 297 876 1,454 2,013 2,511 152 353 643 923 1,128 1,239 
			 East 50 202 568 979 1,376 1,734 124 224 514 731 898 917 
			 London 113 271 744 1,423 2,120 2,693 214 530 1,154 1,786 2,168 2,439 
			 South East 75 273 837 1,424 1,931 2,376 159 411 834 1,075 1,363 1,452 
			 South West 56 180 579 893 1,304 1,592 115 247 474 690 762 829 
			  
			  200 5 
			  England 753 2,426 6,661 11,322 16,336 19,560 1,285 3,009 5,870 8,478 9,951 10,550 
			  
			 North East 49 172 474 808 1,077 1,240 86 174 295 400 463 510 
			 North West 114 419 1,132 1,974 2,706 3,099 186 448 896 1,247 1,354 1,396 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 84 326 913 1,512 2,142 2,465 164 333 600 847 944 1,020 
			 East Midlands 81 235 609 1,043 1,484 1,719 104 226 422 653 732 775 
			 West Midlands 96 326 847 1,407 2,035 2,466 173 343 671 1,008 1,197 1,165 
			 East 64 189 539 1,002 1,408 1,698 98 285 516 748 843 926 
			 London 109 274 752 1,254 2,093 2,819 189 496 1,162 1,627 2,220 2,427 
			 South East 91 308 850 1,399 2,061 2,541 178 420 833 1,244 1,403 1,504 
			 South West 65 177 545 923 1,330 1,513 107 284 475 704 795 827 
			  200 6( 1) 
			  England 666 2,234 6,221 10,814 16,129 19,553 1,253 3,143 6,029 8,643 10,550 11,207 
			  
			 North East 41 174 451 734 1,080 1,229 77 180 292 412 453 492 
			 North West 94 384 1,039 1,773 2,587 3,105 194 476 876 1,218 1,466 1,682 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 99 296 846 1,403 2,093 2,411 161 392 639 844 1,106 1,086 
			 East Midlands 62 215 588 1,034 1,415 1,729 102 210 489 654 783 783 
			 West Midlands 82 302 805 1,423 2,056 2,581 154 406 761 1,051 1,232 1,282 
			 East 52 183 575 962 1,501 1,790 88 288 579 791 983 923 
			 London 101 229 650 1,223 2,012 2,635 184 547 1,038 1,708 2,133 2,491 
			 South East 81 266 768 1,416 2,032 2,461 167 400 828 1,265 1,552 1,630 
			 South West 54 185 499 846 1,353 1,612 126 244 527 700 842 838 
			 (1) Figures for 2006 are provisional.

Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to issue a consultation on the need for legislation regarding alcohol labelling, as referred to in paragraph 2.36 of his Department's Cancer Reform Strategy.

Dawn Primarolo: Today, the Department has published a public consultation seeking views on when and if the Government should take action to require health and unit information, including information on alcohol and pregnancy, to be included on all alcohol bottles and cans, should the voluntary agreement with the alcohol industry not be delivered by the end of 2008.
	The consultation also asks for views on the need for a new alcohol retailing code and whether such a code should be mandatory. The findings of the KPMG review of the effectiveness of the alcohol industry's existing social responsibility standards are published today.
	The consultation paper asks what more can be done by the NHS and others to ensure that help is available for those suffering from ill health due to alcohol misuse. Data on alcohol-related hospital admissions, giving better recognition to the breadth of health harm caused by alcohol misuse and their impact on the NHS, are published alongside the consultation.
	A summary of the first phase of the independent review of the effects of alcohol price and promotion is published alongside the consultation, along with a Department's paper updating the estimate of the cost of alcohol misuse to the NHS. The consultation paper and the summary of the first phase of the independent review have been placed in the Library.
	Ministers will consider the consultation responses in the autumn and will consider further action in light of the second phase findings of the independent review of the relationship between alcohol price, promotion and harm.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many alcohol-related hospital admissions were recorded in North East Essex Primary Care Trust in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested can be found in the following table.
	North East Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT) came into being on 1 October 2006, therefore, figures have also been provided for the predecessor organisations, Tendring PCT and Colchester PCT.
	
		
			  Total admissions to hospital in which the patient had a primary or secondary diagnosis specifically related to alcohol at the start of his or her stay, for North East Essex PCT and its predecessor organisations, Tendring PCT and Colchester PCT in earlier years 
			Total 
			 2006-07 North East Essex PCT 796 
		
	
	
		
			   Tendring PCT  Colchester PCT  Total 
			 2005-06 373 411 784 
			 2004-05 273 310 583 
			 2003-04 244 225 469 
			 2002-03 230 171 401 
			 2001-02 203 164 367 
			 2000-01 120 171 291 
			 1999-2000 147 151 298 
			 1998-99 111 137 248 
			 1997-98 160 167 327 
			  Notes: 1. Finished admission episodes (FAE) A FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. Diagnosis (Primary Diagnosis) The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. 3. Secondary Diagnoses As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care: F10 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol K70 Alcoholic liver disease T51 Toxic effect of alcohol 4. Data Quality HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 national health service trusts, and PCTs in England. Data are also received from a number of Independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 5. Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series.  Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  6. Uncrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ie the data are ungrossed).  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government plan to take to encourage young people to drink less alcohol.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government published the Youth Alcohol Action Plan on 2 June 2008. This document sets out a series of steps to address the problems associated with young people's alcohol consumption. These include:
	Working with the police and the courts to reduce unsupervised drinking by young people in public places, including implementing new legislation to make it an offence for under-18s to persistently possess alcohol in public places;
	Providing better information for parents on how alcohol consumption can affect young people to help them set boundaries with their children. The chief medical officer will work with experts, parents and young people to develop a set of guidelines on young people and alcohol;
	Ensuring that industry plays its part, in marketing and promoting alcohol in a more responsible way to improve the standards that currently govern these issues, making them mandatory if that proves to be necessary; and
	Supporting young people to make sensible decisions through a comprehensive communications campaign about the risks of alcohol, aimed particularly at the 11 to 15 year old age group.
	We have consulted widely on our proposals with parents, young people and other stakeholders. Later in the year we will hold a public consultation on guidelines for both parents and young people on safe and sensible drinking.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of children living with a parent with diagnosed alcohol problems in Leeds in each year since 1987.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Breast Cancer

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to raise the awareness of young women about breast cancer.

Ann Keen: The Department encourages all women to be breast aware. Women should know what is normal for them, be aware of any changes which may occur and discuss any changes with their doctor.
	We will be taking forward work to improving awareness of the signs and symptoms of all cancers, a key objective of the Cancer Reform Strategy, through the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative. As part of this work we will be developing and renewing standard key messages for cancers and we will be working to support local interventions to increase cancer symptom awareness and encourage early presentation.
	In additional, we are currently working to implement a phased extension to the age range of the NHS Breast Screening Programme to include women aged between 47 and 73 years.

Cancer: Females

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision his Department has to support young women with cancer.

Ann Keen: Improving support for all cancer patients living with and beyond cancer, irrespective of their age or gender, is a key aim of the Cancer Reform Strategy, published in December 2007.
	The strategy sets out a number of initiatives to improve patient support services for those living with and beyond cancer including:
	ensuring patients receive high quality personalised information throughout their cancer journey on issues such as cancer treatment, local and national support services, and financial benefits;
	working with cancer professionals in the NHS to improve their communication skills when dealing with patients;
	the establishment of a new national cancer survivorship initiative; and
	monitoring progress on improving patient experience through annual surveys.

Care Homes: Grants

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2008,  Official Report, column 550W, how many units of accommodation have been provided from the extra care housing grant in  (a) apartment complexes and  (b) villages;
	(2)  how many units have been provided from the extra care housing grant for  (a) people over 60 years old,  (b) people with learning disabilities and  (c) people with other disabilities.

Ivan Lewis: Of the units of accommodation being funded by the Department's extra care housing grant, around 850 units are expected to be located in a village type setting and around 3,350 units are expected to be located in apartment type complexes.
	Personal data relating to residents of extra care housing schemes that have received funding through the extra care housing grant are not collected centrally.

Care Homes: Standards

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the consultation on proposed changes to the standards for care homes for older people.

Ivan Lewis: The review of the national minimum standards for care homes has been integrated with the wider reform of health and adult social care regulation.
	The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will take over from the Commission for Social Care Inspection, the Healthcare Commission, and the Mental Health Act Commission on 1 April 2009. From April 2010 the CQC will move to a common system of registration for all providers of regulated health and adult social care.
	The Department recently consulted on what the essential requirements of safety and quality of care should be that providers have to meet in order to maintain their registration. The responses are currently being analysed and the Government's response will be published in due course.

Children: Diseases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there has been in the incidence of  (a) diphtheria,  (b) tetanus,  (c) pertussis,  (d) haemophilus influenzae type b,  (e) polio,  (f) meningitis C,  (g) measles,  (h) mumps,  (i) rubella and  (j) acellular pertussis amongst children in London in (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008 to date.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Laboratory confirmed cases in children (15 years) in London 
			   2007  2008 
			 Diphtheria No cases 1 fatal case May 2008 
			 Tetanus No cases No cases to date 
			 Pertussis 36 cases(1) 26 cases to end June 2008(1) 
			 Haemophilus influenzae 9 1 case to end June 2008 
			 Polio No cases No cases to date 
			 Meningitis C 1 No cases to mid May 2008 
			 Measles 357 335 cases up to end June 2008 
			 Mumps 21 11 cases up to end June 2008 
			 Rubella 1 No cases up to end June 2008 
			 (1) Pertussis cases laboratory confirmed by culture, PCR or serology.  Note: The data in this table for 2007and 2008 are still subject to final confirmation.  Source: Health Protection Agency.

Children: Vaccination

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library minutes of the most recent meeting of the National Child Health Immunisation Board.

Dawn Primarolo: The minutes of the National Child Health Immunisation Board of 12 May will be placed in the Library after they have been agreed at the next meeting in September.

Children: Wheelchairs

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he intends to take to improve the wheelchair service for children and young people as part of the forthcoming Child Health Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We plan to publish the Child Health Strategy in September, and will set out our further plans then.

Children: Wheelchairs

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in improving the provision of wheelchair services for children and young people since the publication of Aiming High for Disabled Children in May 2007.

Ivan Lewis: The Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services Programme (TCEWS) was set up on 2006 to design a radical new model for delivery of both community equipment and wheelchairs in England. The remit of the programme was to place service users and carers at the heart of any new service model and build on the strengths of the third and private sector. The overall aim was to develop a new high quality system for delivering equipment which would give those supported by the state the sort of choice and control they have not previously enjoyed. Responsibility for assessment if need remains with local health and social care commissioners.
	The programme has developed a business case for a new model of delivery of wheelchair services which is currently being considered.

Cholesterol: Screening

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to encourage people to have regular cholesterol and blood pressure tests.

Ann Keen: The Quality and Outcomes Framework of the GP Contract includes quality indicators that provide incentives for practices to measure and control cholesterol in people with vascular disease and diabetes; and to measure and control blood pressure in people with a vascular condition, including hypertension and diabetes. In addition, one quality indicator encourages practices to check routinely the blood pressure of patients aged 45 and over.
	Putting Prevention First, published at the beginning of April this year, outlines the Department's plans to introduce vascular checks, which will include blood pressure and cholesterol tests for all adults aged between 40 and 74.
	In the Next Stage Review, we outlined our plans for a new 'Reduce Your Risk' campaign intended to raise awareness of vascular checks and help people to stay healthy and to know when they need to get help. It will explain the importance of each of the modifiable risk factors for vascular disease, including blood pressure and diet. It will also explain the need for a risk assessment and how to access it.

Cord Blood

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which stakeholders he has consulted in the course of his Department's review of UK practice in the collection and use of umbilical cord blood; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Organisations and individuals consulted during the review of cord blood collection and use have included:
	transplant clinicians;
	maternity unit nurses;
	researchers;
	private cord blood banks (Virgin, Future Health);
	NHS Cord Blood Bank;
	Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists;
	Royal College of Midwives;
	The Anthony Nolan Trust;
	Scottish Government;
	Government Departments and agencies;
	Research Councils; and
	Human Tissue Authority.

Cord Blood

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations he has received on extending the  (a) collection and  (b) use of umbilical cord blood in the UK for clinical and research purposes.

Dawn Primarolo: I have met one organisation to hear a proposal on extending the collection and use of umbilical cord blood in the United Kingdom for clinical and research purposes. The same proposal has generated 13 pieces of correspondence. In total, two parliamentary questions have been laid on extending the current services.

Cord Blood

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units of cord blood have been imported for use in the NHS since 2005; what proportion of these units were sourced and identified by the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: 26 cord blood units have been imported for use in the national health service since 2005. All were sourced by the NHS.

Deca-BDE: Health Hazards

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on human health of the use in industry of the flame retardant deca-BDE; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE) is a flame retardant used primarily in plastics and textiles applications. Over an extended period it has been subject to risk assessment action under the EU Existing Substances Regulation (EC no. 793/93); the UK (the Environment Agency) was the Rapporteur for the environmental elements of the risk assessment and France was the Rapporteur for the human health aspects.
	The conclusion of the risk assessment is that while decaBDE is very persistent in the environment, it is not on present evidence bioaccumulative, and it is not toxic. As a result it does not meet the criteria for formal risk reduction activity under the existing substances regulation.

Dementia

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's strategy for medical research into dementia is; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department invests significant sums in dementia research. As implementation of the Government's health research strategy 'Best Research for Best Health' continues that investment is increasingly directed through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR has established the Dementias and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network (the network provides a world-class health service infrastructure to support clinical trials and other well designed studies funded by both commercial and non-commercial organisations); and is supporting translational and applied research in dementia through the work of its biomedical research centres and through awards made under its programme grant scheme.
	The Department published a consultation on a national dementia strategy on 19 June. It includes a recommendation and plans for building on the UK research base in dementia.

Dental Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists are working on primary care lists in England; how many people were on waiting lists for NHS dental treatment at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The number of dentists on open national health service contracts in England as at 30 June 2006, 30 September 2006, 31 December 2006, and 31 March 2007 are available in Table El of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2006-07 report. This information is based on the new contractual arrangements introduced on 1 April 2006. Information is available by strategic health authority and by primary care trust (PCT).
	Copies of this publication have already been placed in the Library and are on the Information Centre for health and social care's website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0607
	The numbers quoted are headcounts and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.
	Information on the number of people on waiting lists for NHS dental treatment is not collected centrally. It is for PCTs to make local arrangements to support patients in accessing NHS dental services.

Dental Services

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many treatments in each treatment band were carried out by NHS dentists in  (a) St. Ives constituency,  (b) Cornwall and  (c) England in each year since 2000.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested for the period requested. Under the new contractual arrangements, dentists no longer report individual items of service delivered but receive an annual agreed sum, paid in twelve equal instalments in return for delivering an agreed level of dental service. The service delivered is measured in weighted courses of treatment (CoTs) made up of units of dental activity.
	Some sample information is available at national level on dental treatments delivered within courses of treatment. On 4 October 2007 the Information Centre for health and social care published a report: Dental Treatment Band Analysis, England 2007: Preliminary Results which considered activity within a sample of CoTs from the first four months of 2007-08 and made comparisons with equivalent information for 2003-04. On 21 August 2008, the NHS Information Centre is due to publish a further report covering the whole of 2007-08: Dental Treatment Band Analysis, England and Wales: 2007-08 report.
	Under the old dental contractual arrangements, in place up to and including 31 March 2006, information on the number of claims by treatment type was collected centrally for those dentists working in general dental services. Information for 2005 and 2006 by SHA is available in Annex D of NHS Dental and Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006.
	This report has already been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	Information below SHA level or for the years prior to 2005 and 2006 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Dental Services

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts for NHS dentists there were in  (a) St. Ives constituency,  (b) Cornwall and  (c) England in each year since 2000.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the form requested for the period requested.
	The new system of local contracting has been in place only since April 2006. Under the old dental system, in place up to and including 31 March 2006, dentists worked either in general dental services (GDS) or in personal dental service pilots (PDS). PDS pilots, unlike GDS, operated under a system of local contracts but information on the individual contracts agreed under those arrangements is not held centrally.
	The available information for the period since April 2006 is set out in the following tables. This is the latest information available.
	
		
			  Contracts agreed in April 2006( 1) 
			  Level  Number 
			 England 8,377 
			 South West Peninsula SHA 830 
			 Central Cornwall PCT 49 
			 North and East Cornwall PCT 22 
			 West Cornwall PCT 22 
			  Source:(1) Department of Health.   Note:  Information available only by the then primary care trust and strategic health authority. 
		
	
	
		
			  Contracts which ran for the whole of 2006-07 
			  Level  Number 
			 England 7,990 
			 South West SHA 830 
			  Source:  NHS Business Services Authority Dental Services Division.   Note:  Information available only at England level and by current strategic health authority.

Dental Services

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the effects of the new dentists' contract on numbers of  (a) patient registrations and  (b) dentists.

Ann Keen: The Department assessed the impact of the first eighteen months of the dental reforms in its written evidence to the Health Select Committee. This evidence was submitted in December 2007 and published by the committee on 4 February 2008 at:
	www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmhealth/289/289ii.pdf
	The written evidence set out how the reforms have helped lay a solid foundation for locally commissioned dental services. It covered among other areas access, quality and workforce and how the Department is working, with the national health service and stakeholders, to improve services further.
	In addition, in order to identify and spread good practice, the Department announced in March that there will be an evaluation of how local commissioning is working in terms of the patient experience. This will look at both access and quality of services, and the incentives it offers to increase access and encourage prevention and health promotion, as well as treatment. It will also set out a vision for NHS dentistry in five years time. The evaluation is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget is for each  (a) non-departmental public body and  (b) agency for which his Department is responsible for 2008-09.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Arms length body  Type of arms length body  Total (000) 
			 Healthcare Commission Non-Departmental Public Body 59,469 
			 Mental Health Act Commission Special Health Authority 5,594 
			 NHS Blood and Transplant Special Health Authority 94,590 
			 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Non-Departmental Public Body 1,956 
			 Human Tissue Authority Non-Departmental Public Body 1,116 
			 Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence Non-Departmental Public Body 2,060 
			 General Social Care Council Non-Departmental Public Body 10,687 
			 Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board Non-Departmental Public Body 1,468 
			 Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency Trading Agency 11,057 
			 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Special Health Authority 32,415 
			 National Patient Safety Agency Special Health Authority 28,234 
			 Health Protection Agency Non-Departmental Public Body 168,152 
			 National Institute for Biological Standards and Control Non-Departmental Public Body 18,600 
			 National Treatment Agency Special Health Authority 11,457 
			 Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health Non-Departmental Public Body 804 
			 NHS Litigation Authority Special Health Authority 347,718 
			 NHS Appointments Commission Non-Departmental Public Body 3,965 
			 Information Centre for health and social care Special Health Authority 36,595 
			 NHS Business Services Authority Special Health Authority 128,457 
			 NHS Purchasing and Supplies Authority Agency 27,395 
			 NHS Institute Special Health Authority 67,981 
			 Commission for Social Care and Inspection Non-Departmental Public Body 48,550 
			 NHS Professionals Special Health Authority 5,136 
			 Total  1,113,456

Diabetes: Health Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what arrangements are in place to manage the transition from paediatric to adult services for young people with diabetes; and what guidance his Department has given to primary care trusts to ensure the transition takes place at the appropriate time and is negotiated with and planned around the needs of each individual young person;
	(2)  whether his Department is undertaking an assessment of the implementation of Making Every Young Person with Diabetes Matter.

Ann Keen: It is for local national health service organisations to make their own arrangements to manage the transition from paediatric to adult services for young people with diabetes. The 2007 report Making Every Young Person with Diabetes Matter (copies of which have already been placed in the Library) gives support and guidance on managing the transition period, as well as other aspects of diabetes care for children and young people. Implementation of this guidance will be continually reviewed and will also be assessed through the Child Health and Maternity Services mapping exercise, which aims to create an inventory of all dedicated child health services provided in England.
	In the 2007 Child Health Mapping returns, of 242 general paediatric services, 207 (86 per cent.) provided services for children and young people with diabetes, 148 of which had protocols in place for transition to adult diabetes services, and 134 provided a diabetes transition key-worker on all, or most, occasions.

Diabetes: Health Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average ratio of children to paediatric diabetes specialist nurses is in England.

Ann Keen: The information is not collected centrally. It is for local national health service organisations to deploy specialist nurses according to their local needs.

Diabetes: Health Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts in England have carried out a local needs assessment as part of the development of services for children and young people with diabetes; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: This information in not collected centrally. Responsibility for developing services for children and young people with diabetes rests with the national health service, and it is for primary care trusts to commission services that meet the needs of their local population.
	In April 2007, the Department published Making Every Young Person with Diabetes Matter, the report of the children and young people with diabetes working group, which looked at ways to improve diabetes services for children and young people. This report includes guidance to commissioners on the planning, design and provision of diabetes services for children and young people, copies of the Report have already been deposited in the Library.
	The Diabetes Commissioning Toolkit, published in November 2006, describes the importance of carrying out a health needs assessment for local diabetes populations.

Diabetes: Health Services

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts have protocols to support the delivery of a consistent level of care for people with diabetes when in hospital.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally. Responsibility for developing protocols to support the delivery of in-patient care for people with diabetes rests with the national health service, and it is for primary care trusts to commission services that meet the needs of their local population.
	We recognise the importance of ensuring that people with diabetes receive good standards of care while in hospital. In March 2008 the National Diabetes Support Team, in partnership with the Department and Diabetes UK, published the report Improving Emergency and In-patient Care for People with Diabetes. The report is intended to provide quality information and standards for commissioners and providers, and tools for service improvement in in-patient care.

Dietary Supplements

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that botanical food supplements containing ingredients for which claims are approved under the provisions of the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation continue to be able to be marketed under food law.

Dawn Primarolo: Botanical food supplements bearing claims can continue to be marketed providing they comply with the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation and all other aspects of food law. In particular they must comply with the Food Supplements Directive, and all novel food ingredients must undergo a pre-market safety evaluation.

Disabled: Respite Care

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 3.11 in the Carers at the heart of 21st-century families and communities report, how much of the 150 million funding for breaks for carers of disabled children will be provided by his Department over each of the next two years.

Ivan Lewis: In response to the high value placed upon breaks by carers, the Department is investing 150 million via primary care trusts over the next two years. Of this, 50 million will be provided in 2009-10 and 100 million will be provided in 2010-11. This money will support all carers and will not be targeted specifically at carers of disabled children.
	Between 2008-2011, we will be making a further investment of 720 million to councils to enable them to support carers with breaks and other services. This is in addition to funding of over a billion pounds paid to councils since 1999 through the carers grant.

Doctors: Housing

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of trainee doctors who will be paying for hospital-provided accommodation in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Whether a junior doctor pays for accommodation depends on the contract of employment of the individual doctor. As with all other national health service staff, terms and conditions provide that there should be no charge for accommodation where junior doctors are contractually required to be resident. This is a matter for local NHS employers in terms of the contract of employment of each individual employee, and the Department does not hold this information centrally.

Emergency Services: Telecommunications

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects the bandwidth for emergency service communications to be finalised; and what the reasons are for the time taken in determining, costing and allocating spectrum for emergency and public safety communications;
	(2)  when the public safety extension band (PSEB) manager will  (a) decide on the allocation of,  (b) submit the full costs schedule for and  (c) provide the licence for the 2x13Mhz spectrum from the PSEB for the Government's chosen provider of emergency and public safety communications airwave solutions.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a new approach to licensing radio spectrum. New processes are being established. This is a complex matter involving this Department, Ofcom and others. An offer has been made in principle. The detailed contract and licensing documentation will be completed as soon as possible.

Exercise

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence his Department has on the  (a) cost-effectiveness and  (b) clinical effectiveness of exercise referral services as referred to on page 36 of his Department's document High Quality Care for All, Cm. 7432.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2006, the National Institution for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) examined four commonly used methods to increase physical activity in England, including exercise referral. It considered the reviews of the evidence and an economic appraisal.
	NICE determined that, other than as part of research studies where their effectiveness can be evaluated, there was insufficient evidence to recommend the use of exercise referral schemes to promote physical activity. However, the Department encourages the provision of high quality exercise referral schemes where they address management of condition specific or individual health conditions.

Food Standards Agency: Public Appointments

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what account was taken of the undertaking given on 14 January 1998,  Official Report, columns 357-8, in relation to the proportion of members of the board of the Food Standards Agency with relevant interests in the appointment of the current board members; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of the members of the board of the Food Standards Agency have a  (a) current and  (b) recent commercial interest in bodies regulated by the agency.

Dawn Primarolo: The commitment given was that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) would be tough and independent. This is fulfilled by the Food Standards Act 1999 which set up the FSA and by the code of conduct governing the conduct of its board members. The Act requires, and the capability of the agency's board depends upon, the independence and a wide range of skills and experience of members, who together act in the public interest without regard for their own financial or other interests which could prejudice the exercise of their duties. The balance of skills and experience of the whole board is reviewed at the time of each new appointment to ensure that appropriate independence of the board is maintained.
	Details of board members' interests and their broad biographical backgrounds are published by the agency on its website and updated quarterly at
	http://www.food.gov.uk/aboutus/ourboard/boardmem/.
	However information about previous interests is not recorded when no longer held. The current register of interests of board members is published as a Standing Order paper with the papers for all the agency's open board meetings and these are also published on the website. Where relevant to the topic, those interests are also declared in advance of discussion at all board meetings. The process of appointment of members also ensures that potential conflicts of interest are thoroughly explored.

Food: Prices

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of rising food prices on levels of general health.

Dawn Primarolo: We are not aware that rising food prices have had a significant impact on food consumption patterns and hence healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. However, as part of our ongoing work to deliver the objectives of the Government's Healthy Weight Healthy Lives strategy, we will be working with key stakeholders across Government, industry, and the voluntary sector to share information on food purchase patterns.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients attending genito-urinary medicine clinics in  (a) St. Albans,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) England were offered an appointment to be seen within 48 hours in each of the last three months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The percentage of patients contacting genito-urinary clinics who were offered an appointment within 48 hours in St. Albans, Hertfordshire Primary Care Trusts and England between March and May 2008 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   March 2008  April 2008  May 2008 
			  West Hertfordshire PCT
			 The Waverly Wing, St. Albans 91.9 91.3 92.5 
			 Watford Sexual Health Centre, Watford 97.6 96.5 95.5 
			 
			  East and North Hertfordshire PCT
			 Woodlands Clinic, Lister Hospital, Stevenage 100.0 99.8 99.3 
			 Hertford County Hospital, Hertford 97.0 100.0 100.0 
			 
			  Hertfordshire 96.7 96.1 95.9 
			 
			  England 98.9 98.5 98.9 
			  Source: Department of Health Form, Gumamm

Health and Social Care Act 2003

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the operation of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003; what amendments have been made to this Act since receiving Royal Assent; and what amendments are planned during the next 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: The key elements of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 were as follows. The Act made provision for the creation of national health service foundation trusts (FTs), accountable to local communities rather than the Secretary of State; placed a duty on NHS bodies to monitor and improve the quality of healthcare that they provide; gave the Secretary of State power to publish standards in relation to healthcare; created a Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (usually referred to as the Healthcare Commission (HCC)) and a Commission for Social Care Inspection; and made new provisions in relation to primary dental services.
	There are now 103 NHS FTs in place. NHS FTs have demonstrated their ability to establish strong finances and deliver high quality services; the Healthcare Commission's Annual Healthcheck for 2006-07 showed that FTs are delivering better care and improved finances compared to non-FTs.
	The Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, or HCC, reports directly to Parliament on the state of healthcare in England, and on the quality of NHS and independent healthcare, and its value for money. The assessment of individual providers of NHS healthcare takes into account the standards for healthcare published by the Secretary of State. By bringing together the expertise of previous health inspection bodies, the HCC is helping to reduce the fragmentation of inspection, easing the burdens on front-line staff.
	Similarly, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is an independent body, which provides a comprehensive picture of the quality of social care services and the performance of local authorities in meeting social care needs in their areas. It gives a star rating to councils annually and, from 2008, a quality rating to care services. The CSCI regulates, inspects and reviews all adult social care services in the public, private and voluntary sectors in England. It does so on the basis of regulations and standards issued by the Secretary of State. It makes an annual report to Parliament on the state of social care that gives a comprehensive overview of the social care sector in England.
	The following amendments were made to this Act following the granting of Royal Assent on 20 November 2003:
	Section (s) 7 (prior to its repeal)s.7(5) amended by Health Act 2006, s.80, Sch.8, para.54;
	s.25 (prior to its repeal)s.25(3A) inserted by Health Act 2006, s.74(6);
	s.28 (prior to its repeal)s.28(3A) inserted by Health Act 2006, s.74(7);
	s.33s.33(2) amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.236;
	s.45s.45(3) amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.241;
	s.50s.50(4) substituted and s.50(4A) inserted by Health Act 2006, s.15(2);
	s.51s.51(4)(a) amended by Health Act 2006, s.15(3);
	s.52s.52(3)(5) substituted and s.52(5A) inserted by Health Act 2006, s.15(4), (5);
	s.54s.54(2) amended by Health Act 2006, s.15(6);
	s.60s.60(5)(1A) inserted by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004, s.66, Sch.2, para.58;
	s.69AInserted by Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004, s.66, Sch.2, para.59;
	s.76s.76(2)(d) amended by Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.157, Sch.14, para.83(a) - s.76(2)(f), (g) partially repealed by Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.157, s.184, Sch.14, para.83(b), Sch.18, Part 5;
	s.79s.79(2) substituted by Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.157, Sch.14, para.85(2)s.79(2) amended and s.79(2)(a)-(b) inserted by Children Act 2004, s.24(1)s.79(7) repealed by Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.157, s.184, Sch.14, para.85(3), Sch.18, Part 5;
	s.81s.81(2) amended by Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.157, Sch.14, para.87s.81(2) amended by Children Act 2004, s.24(2);
	s.96Substituted by Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.157, Sch.14, para.88 (for Transitional and Supplementary Provisions See Children Act 2004, s.30(1));
	s.113s.113(1)(c) amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.242s.113(4)(a) amended and s.113(4)(aa) inserted by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005, s.39(1), Sch.6, para.75;
	s.114s.114(5)(a) amended by Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, s.182, Sch.12, para.18s.114(1)(c) amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.243s.114(5)(b) substituted by Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005, s.39(1), Sch.6, para.76(b) [s.114(5)(a) partially repealed Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005, s.39, Sch.6, para.76(a), Sch.7];
	s.120s.120(1A), (3A), (5) inserted, s.120(2), (4) amended and s.l20(3) substituted by Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.157, Sch.14, para.91;
	s.122s.122(1) amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.244;
	s.124s.124(6) amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.245;
	s.148s.148 amended by Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.157, Sch.14, para.93s.148 amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.246 [Partially repealed by Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, s.146, s.241, Sch.9, para.1(2)(v), Sch.18, Part 9] [For Transitional and Supplementary Provisions see Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, s.146(4)];
	s.150s.150(7)(a) substituted; s.150(7)(c) and (d) amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.247s.150(7)(d)(ii) substituted by Health Act 2006, s.80, Sch.8, para.55;
	s.153s.153(9) substituted by Health Act 2006, s.73;
	s.155s.155(7) amended by Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, s.62(3), Sch.13, para.152;
	s.157s.157(3)(a) amended by Constitutional Reform Act 2005, s.59(5), Sch.11, para.1(2);
	s.160s.160(4) amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.248;
	s.162s.162(6) amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.249;
	s.165s.165(3)(b)(ii) and (5) amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.250;
	s.168Amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.251;
	s.194Amended by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.2, Sch.1, para.252;
	s.195s.195(2) amended by The National Health Service (Pre-consolidation Amendments) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1407, art.2, Sch.1, Part 2, para.14) re: E/W only. s.195(1) repealed by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006, s.6, Sch.4;
	Schedule (Sch). 6paras.3(1)(a)-(c), (11) amended by Health Act 2006, s.80, Sch.8, para.58(2)(a), (b), (4)(a), (b) para.3(2)-(3), (9)-(10), (14)-(15) repealed by Health Act 2006, s.80, Sch.8, para.58(3), Sch.9; and
	Sch 7para.3(1) amended by Health Act 2006, s.80, Sch.8, para.59(2) para.5(2) repealed by Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.157, s.184, Sch.14, para.94, Sch.18, Part 5 para.3(2), (6)-(8) repealed by Health Act 2006, s.80, Sch.8, para.59(3), Sch.9.
	The Health and Social Care Bill will, subject to parliamentary consent, merge the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, the CSCI and the Mental Health Act Commission into the Care Quality Commission. The Bill will also replace the 'duty of quality' by a duty on primary care trusts to seek continuous improvement.

Health Education

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding will be provided to support the Reduce Your Risk campaign in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11, as referred to on page 35 of his Department's document High Quality Care for All, Cm. 7432; through what media he plans the Reduce Your Risk campaign to be communicated; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We have made provision in the overall Department's financial plans of 150 million in 2009-10 and 400 million in 2010-11 to cover all of the new policy commitments in the NHS Next Stage Review. We are confident all the commitments are affordable within this overall total, though precise funding for individual initiatives is still subject to further detailed planning work on implementation including whether they are taken forward nationally or by the national health service locally. Decisions on the media through which this campaign is to be communicated will depend on research and analysis by marketing experts.

Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to page 10 of the NHS Next Stage Review Final Report, how much additional funding his Department plans to allocate to support the introduction of integrated fit for work services  (a) in 2008-09 and  (b) in 2009-10; and how many additional staff he estimates will be required for these services to be fully implemented;
	(2)  what central funding his Department plans to provide in support of Fit for Work services, as referred to on page 38 of High Quality Care for All, Cm 7432, whether he plans to pilot fit for work services; whether fit for work services will be designed on a  (a) national and  (b) local basis; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: A cross-Government group is now looking at different models for piloting a new 'fit for work' service for people in the early stages of sickness absence, to test out whether this can help people back to appropriate work faster.
	Detailed economic modelling is being undertaken to determine the optimum number of pilots and models of service delivery for piloting, including the costs, workforce requirements and where services should be delivered. Costs and staff mix of any further implementation will depend on the outcome and evaluation of the pilots, expected to begin next year.

Health Services: Elderly

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account he takes of  (a) trends in the age profile of the population and  (b) the requirements of the ageing population in establishing priorities for medical research (i) in and (ii) funded by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government's health research strategy Best Research for Best Health explicitly recognises the impact demographic and other changes have on the need for research that provides new evidence and knowledge.
	The Department funds the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the London School of Economics. Work on the heath and social care costs of the changing age profile of the population has for some years been a central part of the Unit's remit.
	The Department, with other Government Departments, also funds the English Longitudinal Survey of Ageing (ELSA). ELSA collects comprehensive and detailed data on the changing needs and experiences of the country's ageing population, including assessments of mental and physical functioning. These data can play a key part in helping to identify and prioritise future medical research.
	The Department is working actively with other research commissioners in the UK Ageing Research Funders' Forum to map existing research relevant to ageing. By identifying the gaps in current research activity, this process will help to establish priorities for new research in medical and other fields.

Health Services: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the annual management costs of each primary care trust in North Yorkshire were in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the projected management costs of the York and North Yorkshire Primary Care Trust are for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Ann Keen: Information on the annual management costs of each primary care trust (PCT) in North Yorkshire for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  000 
			   Managers costs 
			  Organisation name  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Selby and York PCT 4,725 3,940  
			 Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT 2,323 2,300  
			 Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT 3,249 3,694  
			 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT 2,285 2,653  
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT   11,709 
			  Notes:  1. 2006-07 is the latest year for which data are held.  2. The North Yorkshire and York PCT was formed in October 2006 following a merger of the Selby and York, Hambleton and Richmondshire, Craven, Harrogate and Rural District, and Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCTs.  Source:  Audited PCT summarisation schedules 2004-05 to 2006-07. 
		
	
	Data on the projected management costs of the North Yorkshire and York PCT are not held centrally.

Health: Children

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to increase levels of children's health and well-being.

Ann Keen: Improving outcomes for children is a priority across the range of responsibilities of the Government. The Children's Plan, Building Brighter Futures (2007) (copies of which are available in the Library), reiterated our long-term commitment to improving the physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people from conception to adulthood and set out how the work is focused towards achieving a long-term vision.
	With colleagues in the Department for Children, Schools and Families, we have established a dedicated Public Service Agreement to focus improvements and investment in child health and wellbeing, and are working on the development of a child health strategy planned for publication in September.

Health: Children

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the Child Health Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The strategy will be published in September. This will enable us to take account of the National Health Service Next Stage Review, and to build in further consultation with key stakeholders, young people and parents.

Health: Travelling People

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve the health of Gypsy and Traveller communities.

Ivan Lewis: In 2004 the university of Sheffield published its research into the health status of Gypsies and Travellers. The research had been commissioned by the Department. In response to the research, the Departmentin consultation with Gypsy and Traveller communities and NHS organisationshas embarked on work to improve the health status of community members. As part of the Department's Pacesetters programme, designed to address health inequalities that arise from discrimination and disadvantage, the 18 participating trusts are trialling ways to improve access to the NHS for Gypsies and Travellers. In addition, DH intends to take forward work to develop a primary care commissioning framework for Gypsies and Travellers as part of wider work for transient populations. Results of both pieces of work will be disseminated widely throughout the NHS over the next 12 to 24 months.

Herbal Medicine

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the costs per product of conducting tests to demonstrate compliance with the key provisions of European Medicines Evaluation Agency guidance in relation to applications for registration under the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of specialist  (a) retailers,  (b) manufacturers and  (c) distributors of herbal remedies who have ceased trading or intend to cease trading as a result of the impact of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive.

Dawn Primarolo: The guidelines on the quality of herbal medicinal products prepared by the European Medicines Agency largely reflect good practice identified by the herbal industry. In its regulatory impact assessment of the traditional herbal registration (THR) scheme the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) estimated that typically the costs of registering a product under the scheme could be several tens of thousand pounds but that the figure would vary widely according to specific circumstances, not least depending on whether companies already had systematic quality control systems in place. This assessment has not changed. The MHRA would expect some rationalisation in the manufacturing of herbal medicines reflecting the fact that to carry out this activity to systematic standards within a regulated environment requires specialist expertise. However, there is no basis on which to make specific estimates and feedback to the MHRA from individual companies suggests that many are still developing their plans. So far 14 companies have submitted applications to register one or more product in the United Kingdom under the THR scheme and we therefore anticipate that there will be a competitive market.

Herbal Medicine

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what herbal products are available on the market under the provisions of section 12 (2) of the Medicines Act 1968; and for which of those products an application has been received by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for registration under the provisions of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive;
	(2)  when  (a) Ministers from his Department and  (b) officials from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency last met representatives of the European Commission to discuss the impact of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive on specialist manufacturers, retailers and consumers of herbal remedies; and what the outcomes were of those meetings.

Dawn Primarolo: Companies are not required to notify the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of products marketed under section 12(2) of the Medicines Act 1968. The information requested is not therefore available.
	Ministers and officials of the MHRA have not met representatives of the European Commission to hold specific discussions on the impact of the Directive on traditional herbal medicinal products. However, the MHRA has had a number of opportunities, for example through sharing a platform at conferences, to update Commission officials on the agency's early experience of the expending number of companies submitting applications under the traditional herbal registration scheme. The MHRA also submitted evidence in 2007 to the Commission's review of Directive 2004/24/EC.

HIV Infection: Prisons

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prison inmates were tested for HIV or AIDS in each year since 2003.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not collected. The last major study of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C prevalence in prisoners in England and Wales found that of 3,942 prisoners surveyed in 1997 and 1998, 0.4 per cent. were infected with HIV, 8 per cent. with hepatitis B and 7 per cent. with hepatitis C.
	 Source:
	Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C antibodies in prisoners in England and Wales: a national survey.
	Weild A.R., Gill O.N., Bennett D., Livingstone S.J.M., Parry J.V., Curran L. (2000). Communicable Disease and Public Health 2000;3:121-6.

HIV Infection: Prisons

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much it cost to treat prisoners with HIV and AIDS in each year since 2003.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not available, as the costs of healthcare services in each prison are not disaggregated.

HIV Infection: Prisons

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prison inmates contracted  (a) HIV and  (b) AIDS in each year since 2003.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not available.

Hospices: Finance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding his Department is providing for hospice care within the NHS in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10;
	(2)  what funding his Department is providing for hospice care in the voluntary sector in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Ivan Lewis: Decisions on funding for end of life care services, including the provision of hospice care in the national health service or voluntary sector, are a matter for local primary care trusts who are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of their local population.
	The End of Life Care Strategy published on 16 July 2008, sets out a clear direction for delivering and ensuring access to high quality, responsive services across all settings for all adult patients at the end of life irrespective of who or where they are. To support the implementation of the strategy we will be investing an additional 286 million in end of life services in the two years up to 2011. This will include a 40 million capital fund for hospices to improve their facilities in 2010-11.

Hyperactivity

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in each of the last 10 years, broken down by primary care trust.

Ivan Lewis: Information is not collected on the number of people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In 2006, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidance entitled 'Methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents' on the use of drugs to treat ADHD. NICE has estimated that around 5 per cent. of school-aged children meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, equivalent to 366,000 children and adolescents in England and Wales, but not all these children will require medication.

Maternity Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many maternity units there were in the NHS in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: We do not routinely collect this information centrally. The Healthcare Commission asked for this information as a one-off exercise and at March 2007, there were 382 maternity units in England.

Medical Equipment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the proposed retail model for transforming community equipment services; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The retail model developed for community equipment met with overall approval from the sector. The outline business case was sufficiently robust to support developing the outline model to operational status. This has been undertaken through a shadow running process in the north-west with local authority and health partners in Cheshire, Manchester and Oldham.
	Through shadow running, users and their carers have been able to take an equipment prescription for simple aids to daily living to an accredited retailer and receive in exchange the prescribed equipment. The users own the equipment. They were also able to top up this prescription to a product that better suited their lifestyle and pay the difference to the retailer.
	The shadow running process demonstrated improvements in the user experience and efficiency of the service.
	Cheshire and Oldham have decided to implement the model locally. This confirms that, in their areas, the new prescription processes have been demonstrated to be effective and are capable of being scaled up to support full implementation of the retail model.

Members: Correspondence

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when a reply will be sent to the hon. Member for Eccles' correspondence of 4 February and 23 April 2008 on the hepatitis B vaccine.

Dawn Primarolo: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 21 July 2008.

Mental Health Services

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 363-4W, on mental health services, what was the  (a) revenue and  (b) capital expenditure on Tier 5 services for people with personality disorders in each year since 2005.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.
	However, a Personality Disorder Service, based on the Therapeutic Community Model, was nationally commissioned from three residential centres; Henderson Hospital in London, Main House in Birmingham and Webb House in Crewe, for a time limited period, between 1999 and 2006, while an evaluation was carried out. It was then returned to national health service commissioning in April 2006.
	The budget for these three units when they were nationally commissioned was 6.2 million in each of the years 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Mental Health Services

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS of treating stress-related conditions;
	(2)  how many people were diagnosed with stress-related conditions in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Mental Health Services: Leeds Prison

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are being made to provide therapeutic services for prisoners with mental health problems in Leeds prison; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Psychological therapies are commissioned by primary care trusts (PCTs). When commissioning these services for prisoners, PCTs will assess the needs of their population and as with all other health provision, consideration will be given as to how services will be delivered to address these needs. This will be determined locally as part of a PCT's commissioning responsibility.

Mental Health Services: Young Offenders

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average time between initial assessment by a psychiatrist at  (a) Ashfield and  (b) Huntercombe young offender institution and transfer to a medium secure hospital for young people funded by a primary care trust.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not held centrally.
	The Procedure for the Transfer of Prisoners to and from Hospital under Sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 was published in December 2007 with contributions from the Department, HM Prison Service and National Commissioning Group. The National Commissioning Group are responsible for commissioning a range of specialist services including the national in-patient Secure Forensic Mental Health Service for Young People, which oversees in-patient treatment and referrals to seven specialist units for under-18s in England.
	The Procedure for the Transfer of Prisoners to and from Hospital under Sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 aims to help colleagues to work together more effectively to secure and sustain significant improvements in any unacceptable delays transferring patients from custodial care to hospital care and includes a specific section on young people. The procedure states that a child with an acute need for a mental health secure bed should be moved within seven days.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people were awaiting access to a medium secure hospital bed for young people at the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many medium secure hospital beds are available for young people with learning disabilities.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally.

Mentally Ill: Carers

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the number of carers caring for family members with mental health needs.

Ivan Lewis: No such estimate has been made. However, the 2001 census was the first time information on the numbers of carers was available on the basis of a detailed count. The 2001 census indicates that there are some 6 million people providing unpaid care in the United Kingdom. Some of these cared for people will have mental health issues. However, this figure does not necessarily reflect the number of individuals being cared for, as there is not a one to one ratio of carers to care-recipients.
	The contribution carers make is recognised in law and the policies of central and local government.

Methadone

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been prescribed methadone to help combat drug addiction in  (a) England,  (b) London,  (c) the north-east,  (d) the Tees Valley district and  (e) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of people prescribed a medicine is not collected centrally. However, the number of prescription items prescribed for methadone(1) is shown in the following table. Information is only held for the last 60 months and is based on the national health service organisation that most closely represents the areas requested.
	
		
			  NHS organisation  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 England (community) 1,031,215 1,251,786 1,522,924 1,828,577 
			 England (hospitals) 740,741 767,843 727,310 634,089 
			  
			 NHS London(2) 93,834 97,764 106,662 115,326 
			  
			 North-east total 102,154 134,418 160,066 176,860 
			 NHS North East   122,840 176,860 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear strategic health authority 28,037 38,118 11,964  
			 County Durham and Tees Valley strategic health authority 74,117 96,300 25,262  
			  
			 Stockton on Tees Teaching primary care trust 16,481 21,484 21,702 21,627 
			 Middlesbrough primary care trust(3) 27,116 31,148 30,080 31,032 
			 Redcar and Cleveland primary care trust(4) 1,610 2,522 4,877 5,439 
			 (1) Methadone is licensed for use in opioid dependence, as an analgesic and as a cough suppressant. The figures provided are for prescriptions written under British National Formulary (BNF) section 4.10drugs used in substance dependence. (2) North West London Strategic Health Authority (SHA), North Central London SHA, North East London SHA, South East London SHA and South West London SHA merged in 2006 to become NHS London. (3) Part of Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust (PCT) joined with others to form Redcar and Cleveland PCT in 2006. Middlesbrough PCT remained but as a smaller PCT. (4) Langbaurgh PCT merged with part of Middlesbrough PCT and became Redcar and Cleveland PCT in 2006.  Source: Prescribing Analysis and Cost Tool (PACT)

Methadone

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that users of methadone who receive the drug on prescription are made aware of the risks associated with allowing children in their care access to the drug.

Dawn Primarolo: In September 2007 the Department, in collaboration with the National Treatment Agency for substance misuse (NTA) published guidelines for the clinical management of drug treatment services, Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management.
	The guidelines note that patients prescribed methadone
	must be made fully aware of the risks of their medication and of the importance of protecting children from accidental ingestion. Prescribing arrangements should also aim to reduce risks to children.
	The guideline goes on to note that during assessment clinicians should inform patients of the
	risks to children of ingesting prescribed medication and the importance of safe storage must be emphasised at the first appointment and repeatedly thereafter. Assessment of compliance with these safety measures should form part of the decision-making concerning dispensing and supervision arrangements
	of methadone prescribing.
	In January 2007, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published the Technology Appraisal Methadone and buprenorphine for managing opioid dependence, which recommended the use of both methadone and buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid dependence.
	This Appraisal notes the risks that the use of methadone (or buprenorphine) has for non-drug users, especially children who may be at risk of accidental ingestion, and that
	the responsible clinician, in consultation with the person, should estimate the risks and benefits of prescribing methadone or buprenorphine, taking account of the person's lifestyle and family situation (for example, whether they are considered chaotic and might put children and other opioid-naive individuals living with them at risk).
	Local clinical governance protocols for drug treatment would normally require recording of any serious incidents concerning the 'misuse' of prescribed methadone so that appropriate action can be taken to ensure that any risk or harm is minimised and is not repeated.
	Earlier this year the NTA launched a consultation on clinical governance in drug treatment, with the aim of publishing guidance later this year. This will help commissioners and service providers shape the local implementation of clinical governance systems in this important area.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to establish a fellowship programme for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, as referred to on page 49 of High Quality Care for All, Cm 7432.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is working with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and other stakeholders to develop detailed proposals for the establishment of a fellowship programme over the coming months.

NHS: Crimes of Violence

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of violent attacks against NHS staff.

Ann Keen: The NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) was created in April 2003, with policy and operational responsibility for security management within the national health service. A comprehensive strategy has been implemented detailing the preventative proactive and reactive action that is to be taken both nationally and locally to tackle this problem.
	A network of local security management specialists (LSMS) supported nationally by the NHS SMS guidance, has been introduced. LSMS are tasked with ensuring that security work within their individual health bodies is effective. In particular they are guided to ensure that every incident of violence against NHS staff is reported, acted upon and evaluated so that measures can be adopted to prevent repeated incidents.
	In 2006 the NHS SMS signed agreements with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), outlining how the NHS, CPS and police will work together to drive down assaults and ensure tougher punishment for offenders. It commits the police, CPS and NHS to pursue every reported incident of violence and abuse.
	Mandatory conflict resolution training has also been introduced for all frontline NHS staff, with over 450,000 staff trained by March 2008.
	A national physical assault reporting system (PARS) has been developed to monitor and respond to incidents of assault against NHS staff. Using a clear definition as to what constitutes a physical assault, figures for the number of reported assaults against NHS staff 2006-07, released on 5 November 2007, indicate there were 4,676 fewer than 2004-05. The number of criminal sanctions against those perpetrating violence against NHS staff, also released in November 2007, rose to 869, a 17-fold increase from 2002-03 when figures were first collected.
	New measures to tackle nuisance and disturbance behaviour on NHS premises have also been introduced in the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. As well as reducing the impact of this behaviour on the delivery of health care, this legislation gives health bodies the power to remove an individual displaying this behaviour before an incident may escalate into violence.
	A project to identify the best available alarm device technology to protect vulnerable lone workers is currently under way. The project will centrally fund the allocation of up to 30,000 devices and introduce a purchasing framework whereby health bodies can purchase any further requirements at the best price possible.
	Training for all frontline staff in preventative skills remains a commitment as does the development of the network of LSMS in health bodies to ensure that all effective action is taken to prevent and deter violence against all NHS staff.

NHS: Crimes of Violence

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses in England have reported being the subject of a violent incident perpetrated by  (a) a patient and  (b) a family member or friend of a patient in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	For information on the numbers of reported physical assaults against national health service staff, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for East Devon (Mr. Swire) on 4 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 2390-1W.

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  in what ways he plans to monitor progress against the aim to end the postcode lottery in new drugs and treatments, as referred to in paragraph 4.18 of his Department's consultation on the NHS constitution;
	(2)  when he plans to issue directions under the National Health Service Act 2006 concerning the process primary care trusts (PCTs) need to adopt in making decisions on the funding of drugs and treatments which have not been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, as referred to on page 16 of his Department's document Handbook to the draft NHS Constitution; and whether he plans to strengthen sanctions for those PCTs which do not adhere to the directions;
	(3)  what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to give statutory effect to patients' right to drugs and treatments that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; what plans he has to strengthen the sanctions for primary care trusts which breach this right; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The draft NHS Constitution was published on 30 June 2008 and the Government's proposals are open for public consultation until 17 October 2008. The Government will consider implementation, monitoring arrangements and legislation following the consultation.

NHS: Pensions

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis social enterprises will be given access to the NHS Pension Scheme.

Ann Keen: My right hon. Friend The Secretary of State would grant closed directions under section 7(2) of the Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1967 in respect of staff transferred under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) to qualifying social enterprises. A qualifying social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community. The following legal forms will be acceptable; a registered charity, a community interest company or an industrial and provident society. The terms of the direction would mean that staff would be able to remain members of the NHS Pension scheme. The direction would be specific to the staff named on the direction, the organisation applying for the direction and to them remaining working wholly on the contract in respect of which they were transferred or other national health service contracts. If staff are subsequently transferred to another social enterprise or organisation qualifying for a direction, then a further direction would be granted in respect of those transferring staff. Directions will not cover a member of staff recruited individually in the open market from the NHS or elsewhere.

Obesity: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people diagnosed with obesity in Halifax over the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally.

Obesity: Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new resources he will provide to those areas worst affected by  (a) obesity-related and  (b) alcohol-related ill health, as referred to on page 37 of his Department's document High Quality Care for All, Cm 7432; whether these resources will be provided on a one-off or recurrent basis; whether the resources will be provided to primary care trusts on a conditional basis; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: As part of the 372 million allocated to the delivery of Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A Cross-Government Strategy for England, 65.9 million has been put into primary care trust (PCT) allocations for 2008-09. PCT allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11 will be set later this year.
	The Health Inequalities: Progress and Next Steps document published in June 2008 recognised the significance of obesity as one of the most important long-term challenges facing the nation's health and that obesity and its risks are not experienced equally across society. Within the document, the Government announced that they would test a full service model of local programme and services, to both prevent and tackle child and adult overweight and obesity in areas with the highest rates of child and adult obesity. Levels of investment will depend on the outcome of this piloting as well as subsequent implementation decisions by the NHS within overall PCT allocations.
	Lord Darzi's review, High Quality Care For All recognises the role that the full service model can play as an exemplar in supporting preventative healthcare.
	The Health Inequalities: Progress and Next Steps document also referred to the higher levels of alcohol- related mortality and hospital admissions within disadvantaged communities. The document committed to establishing a new National Support Team for Alcohol, which will provide in-depth analysis and direct support to Primary Care Trusts to turn around local performance in the areas with the highest rates of alcohol-related hospital admissions. The first five to 10 areas covered in 2008-2009 will be able to bid for additional funding over each of the next three years to support local improvements. The total investment over the next three years is subject to finalising PCT allocations for 2009-10 and 2010-11, which will be set later this year.

Obesity: Surgery

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients had gastric bypass surgery in hospitals in each of the last three years for which figures are available, broken down by  (a) sex and  (b) age.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available has been placed in the Library.
	I regret that part of the reply I gave to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 203W, providing figures of gastric bypass surgery in each hospital trust was incorrect. The correct information has been placed in the Library.
	Gastric bypass surgery may be performed for a number of reasons, such as on patients with gastric malignancies, obesity, trauma to the stomach or benign gastric conditions.

Occupational Health

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what ways companies will be required to report on their employees'  (a) health and  (b) well-being as referred to on page 37 of his Department's document High Quality Care for All, Cm 7432.

Ivan Lewis: The cross-Government Health Work and Well-Being Unit is working with Business in the Community (BiTC) in support of their Business Action on Health campaign through the provision of a tool called the 'business healthcheck'. The aim is to secure voluntary commitment from 75 per cent. of FTSE 100 companies, and 20 per cent. of BiTC members, to report on health and well-being as a boardroom issue by 2011. The manner of reporting will vary in different organisations but the key point will be raising the profile of staff health and well-being at boardroom level.

Orthopaedics

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's strategy for research into orthopaedic needs and treatment is; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government's health research strategy is set out in the document 'Best Research for Best Health' copies of which has already been placed in the Library. The strategy is being implemented by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). NIHR programmes support high quality research of relevance and in all areas of priority to patients and the national health service. Details, including the scope of the programmes, are available on the NIHR website at
	www.nihr.ac.uk.

Palliative Care

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce payment by results for  (a) the NHS and  (b) the voluntary sector providers of end of life care services.

Ivan Lewis: We have no timetable for including end of life care in payment by results (PbR).
	Several local health economies are currently investigating PbR-type funding approaches for specialist palliative care and community services, as PbR 'development sites.'

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria govern the selection of illnesses for which free prescriptions will be provided; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The list of medical conditions giving prescription charge exemption was agreed in discussion with the medical profession and introduced in 1968. The Government will be inviting comments on possible options for cost neutral changes to prescription charges and exemptions later this year.

Primary Care Trusts: Equality

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which primary care trusts have completed a local equality impact assessment; and whether such assessments are collated centrally;
	(2)  what requirements there are for primary care trusts to conduct local equality impact assessments; and what requirements there are for such assessments to cover cancer.

Ivan Lewis: All primary care trusts (PCTs) have a duty to undertake and publish equality impact assessments (EqIAs). These are not centrally collected by the Department. However, the Healthcare Commission has conducted audits of national health service trusts to look at whether trusts have published the required information. Each PCT is required under the equality legislation to equality impact assess their functions, policies, strategies and procedures. The Healthcare Commission when inspecting PCTs will assess the quality of the EqIA which will go towards their annual rating.
	The 'Cancer Reform Strategy' was published in December 2007 (copies of which have already been placed in the Library) and has an equality impact assessment which highlights the strategic equality issues regarding cancer which are there to inform PCTs of the issues they should take in due regard when commissioning their own cancer services.

Protection

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on adult protection procedures in England in the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not available centrally. The Department is responsible for setting policy on adult protection procedures. Implementation of this policy is the responsibility of local councils. Councils are free to determine expenditure on adult protection procedures according to local needs and priorities. They must, of course, discharge their statutory responsibilities.

Protection

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether an equality impact assessment  (a) has been conducted and  (b) is planned before the conclusion of the No Secrets review of the adult protection arrangements;
	(2)  how service users are being involved in the No Secrets review of care for vulnerable adults;
	(3)  what work is being done as part of the No Secrets review of care for vulnerable adults to  (a) learn lessons from local authority inquiries that have raised issues about adult protection procedures and  (b) collect examples of good practice in adult protection.

Ivan Lewis: The Department is preparing to publish a national consultation on the No Secrets guidance. This consultation identifies a large number of issues and questions about how to improve adult protection and the wider safeguarding of people who are at risk of or who have already experienced abuse. We are working to develop a consultation strategy which involves people who are service users and people who are notas well as stakeholders who are already active in this field. We are also working with the large advisory board for No Secrets and discussing how member organisations can take an active part in contributing the views of people they are working with.
	The consultation will invite people to contribute their views, their experiences and their thoughts about how to improve adult protection and safeguarding. We have already met large numbers of adult protection co-ordinators and safeguarding leads and sought their views as part of our early consultation events. We will continue to do this. We are also identifying safeguarding leads in the national health service in order to look at the issue more closely in a health context. In addition, we have commissioned a review of the lessons learned from serious case reviews.
	An equality impact assessment is planned before the conclusion of the review.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sexually transmitted infections were diagnosed at  (a) Waverley Sexual Health Clinic, St. Albans and  (b) in all genito-urinary medicine clinics in Hertfordshire in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in genito-urinary medicine clinics (GUM) is currently only available at strategic health authority (SHA) level. The East of England SHA includes Hertfordshire.
	The total number of new and other STIs diagnosed in the East of England SHA in the last five years is given in the table.
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Total new STI diagnoses(1) 28,419 29,878 29,858 30,190 32,758 
			 Total other STL diagnoses(2) 16,492 18,018 19,865 20,966 21,405 
			 (1) New STIs include chlamydial infection (uncomplicated and complicated), gonorrhoea (uncomplicated and complicated), infectious syphilis, genital herpes simplex (first attack), genital warts (first attack), new HIV diagnosis, non-specific genital infection (uncomplicated and complicated), chancroid/lymphogranuloma venerum (LGV)/donovanosis, Molluscum contagiosum, trichomoniasis, scabies and Pediculus pubis. (2) Other STIs include early latent, congenital and other acquired syphilis, recurrent genital, herpes simplex, recurrent and re-registered genital warts, subsequent HIV presentations (including AIDS), ophthalmia neonatorum (chamydial or gonococcal) and epidemiological treatment of suspected STls (syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, non-specific genital infection).  Notes: 1. There are 22 GUM clinics in the East of England SHA. 2. There are two GUM clinics in East and North Hertfordshire PCT and two GUM clinics in West Hertfordshire. 3. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for diagnoses made in GUM clinics only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as General Practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset. 4. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. 5. The information provided has been adjusted for missing clinic data.  Source: Health Protection Agency, KC60 returns

Smoking

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department has provided in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms in current prices in social marketing initiatives designed to support people to stop smoking in each year since 2005-06; what social marketing initiatives his Department has funded in each of those years; in which ways each has focused on communities with the greatest smoking prevalence, as referred to in paragraph 2.24 of his Department's Cancer Reform Strategy, published on 3rd December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to the hon. Member for Leicester, South (Sir Peter Soulsby) on 15 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 361- 363W.
	The Department's marketing communication programmes are designed to target smokers from high smoking prevalence groups.

Smoking

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fines have been issued for smoking in a public place in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) each constituency in Cornwall,  (c) the South West region and  (d) England.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available in the requested form.
	The latest data on compliance with Smokefree legislation are published regularly by the Department at a regional and national level on the Smokefree England website at
	www.smokefreeengland.co.uk.

Smoking: Mental Health Services

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what representations he has received on extending the exemption from the ban on smoking in public places granted to mental health in-patient units; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the variations in policy on the operation of the ban on smoking in public places in mental health in-patient units;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the advice given on giving up smoking to patients with a mental health problem by  (a) GPs and  (b) clinicians in secondary care;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of whether there are beneficial effects from smoking on coping with symptoms of mental distress.

Ivan Lewis: A small number of representations have been made in recent weeks from a small minority of establishments who have had difficulties meeting the deadline; additional help has been available to them over the course of the last year and support and advice is still being provided to make sure that they operate within the requirements of the law; the vast majority of mental health units have not encountered difficulties and indeed are benefiting from an end to the smoking den culture in mental health establishments.
	The Government commissioned the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre (TCCC) to provide support to mental health service providers in the lead-up to the implementation of the smokefree legislation in residential mental health units on 1 July 2008. Over the past year the TCCC wrote to all foundation trusts, national health service trusts and independent providers asking about their smokefree policies and inviting individual trusts to request additional support, such as visits. The TCCC has also worked with regional stop smoking leads to organise local workshops to address implementation issues. This initial contact was followed up by sending mental health providers smokefree resources, accompanied by a further offer of support to trusts on an individual basis. To date 24 mental health service providers have been visited.
	Due to the one year gap between wider implementation of smokefree legislation and implementation in mental health units it is too early for comparisons to be made.
	Currently, the Department has made no assessment of advice given on giving up smoking to patients with a mental health problem by either general practitioners or clinicians in secondary care and nor has an assessment been made of the beneficial effects of smoking on coping with symptoms of mental distress. However, the Government are committed to review the impact of the smokefree law in its entirety within three years of implementation.

Strokes

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) heart attacks and  (b) strokes were recorded in Westmoorland and Lonsdale in each month of (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected in the format requested. However, information for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay National Health Service Trust for 2006-07 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of admissions for primary diagnoses of heart attacks and strokes for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust for 2006-07. 
			  Primary diagnosis  Number of admissions 
			 Stroke 609 
			 Heart Attack 714 
			  Notes: 1. Data are only available for the year 2006-07 and cannot be broken down by month. 2. The information can only be collected at trust level. The University of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust is the trust which closely corresponds to the Westmorland and Lonsdale area. 3. Data cannot be provided for the number of heart attacks and strokes recorded but are provided as the number of admissions to hospital with a primary diagnosis of a  (a) stroke and  (b) heart attack. 4. Finished admission episodesA finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 5. Data QualityHES are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 6. Assessing growth through timeHES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be accounted for when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be accounted for when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time. 7. Diagnosis (primary diagnosis)The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. 8. Ungrossed DataFigures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Sunbeds

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department is making towards gathering information about  (a) the number and distribution of sunbeds and  (b) the scale of sunbed use by minors, as referred to in paragraph 2.43 of his Department's Cancer Reform Strategy.

Ann Keen: We have carried out some preliminary scoping work and are examining the findings. We are also considering whether to commission further data collection and will make a decision about this in due course.

Sunbeds

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Health and Safety Executive since 3 December 2007 on the regulation of the sunbed industry; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Officials from the Department of Health and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have been in discussion concerning the revised, draft HSE guidance for tanning salon operators Reducing health risks from the use of ultraviolet (UV) tanning equipment. We have also discussed with the HSE the need for possible further data to inform considerations on options for regulating the sunbed industry.

Transsexuality

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of gender reassignment operations which will be carried out by NHS trusts in 2008-09.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has made no estimate of the number of gender reassignment procedures which will be carried out in 2008-09. The provision of these procedures is the responsibility of primary care trusts, who will take into account a patient's individual clinical needs and the resources available to provide healthcare for their wider population.

Transsexuality

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many gender reassignment operations were carried out by NHS trusts in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Ivan Lewis: Figures for 2007-08 are not yet available. In 2006-07 there were 155 finished consultant episodes (FCEs) where an operative procedure for sexual transformation was performed by the national health service. A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Figures for FCEs do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.

Urology

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on NHS genito-urinary medicine clinics in  (a) Ribble Valley constituency,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England in each year since 2000.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally.
	The funding to support sexual health services is not allocated separately to primary care trusts (PCTs) but is contained within the mainstream revenue allocations made to PCTs. It is the responsibility of PCTs to commission the health services they need to meet the health requirements of the local populations they serve.

Wheelchairs

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received seeking publication of the new model for the delivery of wheelchair services as a matter of urgency; and what steps he has taken in response.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has replied to five parliamentary questions concerning the publication of the new model for the delivery of wheelchair services. In addition, the Department has received approximately 100 pieces of correspondence concerning the broader issues relating to the provision of wheelchairs services, these include a number seeking details on the publication of the new model.

DEFENCE

Departmental ICT

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) mobile telephones,  (b) personal digital assistants and  (c) laptop computers issued to departmental staff were reported (i) lost, (ii) missing and (iii) stolen in each year since 2001.

Bob Ainsworth: As a result of the recent theft of a laptop, the Ministry of Defence has initiated an investigation into the details of all lost or stolen electronic media since 2003. This investigation involves the collation and examination of reports from across the Department including final disposal action, where available. While every effort is being made to gather the information as quickly and accurately as possible, not all the details are presently available. In addition, it should be noted that details of such incidents were not collated centrally before 2003 and therefore will not be available.
	I will write to the hon. Member when the information has been collated and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Sarah Teather:
	The Minister of State for the Armed Forces undertook to write to you in answer to your Parliamentary Question on 18 February 2008, (Official Report, column 95W) about lost, missing or stolen mobile telephones, personal digital assistants and laptop computers. I am responding on his behalf.
	Currently, all incidents are categorised as either lost or stolen. There was no centralised reporting of lost or stolen personal digital assistants (PDAs) prior to 2003 so it is not possible to provide the information for the earlier years. Prior to 2003 the reporting of lost and stolen laptops was not centrally collated and it has been found that the figures for the period 1995 to 2002 included in the replies to previous questions on 22 June 2005, (Official Report, column 1069W) and 19 January 2007, (Official Report, columns 1363-4W) may be incomplete. As the details of incidents for the 1995/2002 period are no longer available it is not possible to provide updated figures. MOD units are not required to report centrally incidents of loss or theft of mobile phones, but some reports have been provided where the incidents have security significance or have been associated with the theft of other property.
	The following figures are derived from the data collated as a result of the investigation into details of computer and other electronic media lost/stolen since 2003 and provided to Sir Edmund Burton as part of his review. These figures continue to be adjusted as a result of additional thefts and losses along with subsequent clarification of historic incidents. The following table shows the number of mobile telephones, PDAs and laptops centrally reported as lost or stolen from the Department since 2003:
	
		
			   Mobile telephones  PDAs  Laptops 
			   Lost  Stolen  Lost  Stolen  Lost  Stolen 
			 2003 0 0 0 1 27 136 
			 2004 1 1 1 2 22 272 
			 2005 0 0 1 1 18 130 
			 2006 0 3 1 1 27 155 
			 2007 1 0 1 2 22 101 
			 2008 (up to 25June 2008) 1 1 0 1 30 34 
		
	
	I am placing a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Nimrod Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many instances of fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft have been recorded in the last 12 months. [164431b]
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox, dated 13 July 2008:
	I wrote to you on 21 May 2008 in answer to two Parliamentary Questions that you tabled about fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft. I explained that the Nimrod Integrated Project Team within Defence Equipment and Support (DES) was carrying out a detailed manual analysis of fuel leak data in order to answer your questions.
	This work has now been completed and I can now provide you with a full response. In your first question on 21 November 2007, (Official Report, Column 990W) you asked how many instances of fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft had been recorded in the last 12 months. This was taken to be the period from 1 November 2006 to 31 October 2007. A fuel leak is defined as any leakage of fuel from aircraft couplings, pipes or fuel tanks. In that period, there were a total of 252 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. In your second question on 20 May 2008 (Official Report, Column 181W) you asked how many fuel leaks had been reported since January 2007. Between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2007 there were 277 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. Based on current data, between 1 January 2008 and 31 March 2008 (the last full month for which validated data is available), there have been a total of 33 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. That figure is however provisional, as some records have yet to be received from aircraft deployed on operations, and it is therefore likely to increase as the records are completed.
	The figures quoted above do not include fuel leaks which are caused by our scheduled maintenance activity, as we disturb the fuel system. In these cases the leak is both caused and rectified while on the ground.
	Although all aircraft are designed to be leak tolerant, all fuel leaks are thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, the measures implemented following the loss of Nimrod XV230 mean that the chance of any fuel leak igniting is extremely low. In particular we have, as you know, removed potential sources of ignition by switching off the aircraft's very hot air system while airborne; it is used for short periods on the ground but does not reach temperatures sufficient to ignite fuel. Despite this, no leakage, however small, from pipes, couplings or fuselage tanks is accepted and the aircraft will not fly until such leaks have been rectified. The only occasion on which an aircraft will fly with a fuel leak is with certain categories of leaks from the integral fuel tanks in the wings. In such instances leaking fuel from the wing tanks disperses safely into the aircraft's slipstream, and, as there is no potential source of ignition, there is no hazard to the aircraft.
	Of the 310 fuel leaks reported between 1 January 2007 and 31 March 2008 over 50 per cent were leaks from integral fuel tanks in the wings, in which fuel would simply pass into the aircraft's slipstream during flight. In each of these reported incidents, whether from the integral fuel tanks in the wings or elsewhere, the fuel leaks did not compromise the safety of the aircraft and were rectified by normal maintenance procedures.
	In my letter of 21 May, I stated that in November 2006, after the loss of Nimrod XV230, DES introduced new mandatory fuel leak reporting procedures (known as 'Leaflet 70 reports') on all leaks associated with fuel tanks within the fuselage, the fuel system and on any residual fuel found in specific areas of the aircraft (such as the bomb bay). I also explained that since the introduction of these procedures, 111 fuel leaks (of varying degrees of severity) had been recorded under Leaflet 70. This procedure will continue to bring fuel leaks in the fuselage to the immediate attention of the DES Nimrod Integrated Project Team. The current maintenance policy for the Nimrod fuel system remains appropriate.
	With respect to the airworthiness of the aircraft today, we have ceased air-to-air refuelling and ceased the use of very hot air systems in flight. These measures, together with the enhanced aircraft maintenance and inspection procedures introduced since the Nimrod XV230 crash ensure the aircraft, as it is today, is safe to fly. Indeed, my Department having carefully considered all the issues has declared that all reasonably practicable measures have been taken to reduce the risk of fire and explosion to As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). The work to reach this position has been contributed to by key stakeholders represented on the Nimrod Platform Equipment Safety Committee (comprising representatives of the DES Nimrod Integrated Project Team, Air Command, the Release to Service Authority, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and QinetiQ) which supports this declaration.
	In addition, to ensure we can continue to operate the aircraft efficiently until its planned retirement from service, we have in place a programme of more permanent measures which includes replacing, where judged necessary, fuel seals and engine bay hot air ducts on the aircraft, this work is being progressed as quickly as practicable.
	I am copying this letter to Ian Liddell-Grainger and Sir Nicholas Winterton, who have previously expressed an interest in this subject.

Nimrod Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fuel leakages on a Nimrod aircraft have been reported since January 2007. [199452b]
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member.
	 Substantive answer from Bob Ainsworth to Liam Fox, dated 13 July 2008:
	I wrote to you on 21 May 2008 in answer to two Parliamentary Questions that you tabled about fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft. I explained that the Nimrod Integrated Project Team within Defence Equipment and Support (DES) was carrying out a detailed manual analysis of fuel leak data in order to answer your questions.
	This work has now been completed and I can now provide you with a full response. In your first question on 21 November 2007, (Official Report, Column 990W) you asked how many instances of fuel leaks from Nimrod aircraft had been recorded in the last 12 months. This was taken to be the period from 1 November 2006 to 31 October 2007. A fuel leak is defined as any leakage of fuel from aircraft couplings, pipes or fuel tanks. In that period, there were a total of 252 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. In your second question on 20 May 2008 (Official Report, Column 181W) you asked how many fuel leaks had been reported since January 2007. Between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2007 there were 277 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. Based on current data, between 1 January 2008 and 31 March 2008 (the last full month for which validated data is available), there have been a total of 33 fuel leaks reported on the Nimrod MR2 and R1 aircraft. That figure is however provisional, as some records have yet to be received from aircraft deployed on operations, and it is therefore likely to increase as the records are completed.
	The figures quoted above do not include fuel leaks which are caused by our scheduled maintenance activity, as we disturb the fuel system. In these cases the leak is both caused and rectified while on the ground.
	Although all aircraft are designed to be leak tolerant, all fuel leaks are thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, the measures implemented following the loss of Nimrod XV230 mean that the chance of any fuel leak igniting is extremely low. In particular we have, as you know, removed potential sources of ignition by switching off the aircraft's very hot air system while airborne; it is used for short periods on the ground but does not reach temperatures sufficient to ignite fuel. Despite this, no leakage, however small, from pipes, couplings or fuselage tanks is accepted and the aircraft will not fly until such leaks have been rectified. The only occasion on which an aircraft will fly with a fuel leak is with certain categories of leaks from the integral fuel tanks in the wings. In such instances leaking fuel from the wing tanks disperses safely into the aircraft's slipstream, and, as there is no potential source of ignition, there is no hazard to the aircraft.
	Of the 310 fuel leaks reported between 1 January 2007 and 31 March 2008 over 50 per cent were leaks from integral fuel tanks in the wings, in which fuel would simply pass into the aircraft's slipstream during flight. In each of these reported incidents, whether from the integral fuel tanks in the wings or elsewhere, the fuel leaks did not compromise the safety of the aircraft and were rectified by normal maintenance procedures.
	In my letter of 21 May, I stated that in November 2006, after the loss of Nimrod XV230, DES introduced new mandatory fuel leak reporting procedures (known as 'Leaflet 70 reports') on all leaks associated with fuel tanks within the fuselage, the fuel system and on any residual fuel found in specific areas of the aircraft (such as the bomb bay). I also explained that since the introduction of these procedures, 111 fuel leaks (of varying degrees of severity) had been recorded under Leaflet 70. This procedure will continue to bring fuel leaks in the fuselage to the immediate attention of the DES Nimrod Integrated Project Team. The current maintenance policy for the Nimrod fuel system remains appropriate.
	With respect to the airworthiness of the aircraft today, we have ceased air-to-air refuelling and ceased the use of very hot air systems in flight. These measures, together with the enhanced aircraft maintenance and inspection procedures introduced since the Nimrod XV230 crash ensure the aircraft, as it is today, is safe to fly. Indeed, my Department having carefully considered all the issues has declared that all reasonably practicable measures have been taken to reduce the risk of fire and explosion to As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). The work to reach this position has been contributed to by key stakeholders represented on the Nimrod Platform Equipment Safety Committee (comprising representatives of the DES Nimrod Integrated Project Team, Air Command, the Release to Service Authority, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and QinetiQ) which supports this declaration.
	In addition, to ensure we can continue to operate the aircraft efficiently until its planned retirement from service, we have in place a programme of more permanent measures which includes replacing, where judged necessary, fuel seals and engine bay hot air ducts on the aircraft, this work is being progressed as quickly as practicable.
	I am copying this letter to Ian Liddell-Grainger and Sir Nicholas Winterton, who have previously expressed an interest in this subject.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

1 Carlton Gardens

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1774W, on departmental official residences, who owns the freehold to 1 Carlton Gardens; and what the current duration is of the leasehold;
	(2)  what the timetable is for the negotiations with the Crown Estate for the future of the lease on 1 Carlton Gardens.

Meg Munn: The freehold for 1 Carlton Gardens is held by 'The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in right of Her Crown, care of the Crown Estate Commissioners'. The lease has expired and is the subject of ongoing negotiations.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional remuneration is to be paid to British police officers posted to Kabul.

Kim Howells: Officers from the Ministry of Defence Police working in the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, the US command structure responsible for security sector reform in Kabul (CSTC-A) receive a total of 4,750 in taxable allowances in addition to their salary per calendar month. Other British police officers working within the CSTC-A or the EU Police Mission in Afghanistan receive an allowance of 95 per day whilst in mission and 65 per day whilst on decompression break. One retired British police officer is employed through a private contract.
	Differences between remuneration packages reflect the different terms and conditions under which officers work.

Arctic

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have made claims to rights over the  (a) Arctic and  (b) Antarctic in the last five years; which claims the UK recognises; and what the process is for resolving disputed claims.

Meg Munn: holding answer 21 July 2008
	We are not aware of any new claims having been made in either the Arctic or Antarctic in the last five years.
	While not amounting to a new claim, in November 2006 the Government of Norway submitted to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf information on the limits of that country's continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Part of the submission relates to areas of the seabed in the Arctic Ocean.
	Any recommendations which the Commission may make are without prejudice to the delimitation of the continental shelf between states with opposite or adjacent coasts. Any disputed claims would have to be settled through negotiation or through other international dispute settlement mechanisms.
	Existing territorial claims to Antarctica pre-date the entry into force of the Antarctic Treaty in 1961. The Treaty precludes any new claim, or enlargement of an existing claim, to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica. It also provides a mechanism for the effective management of any disputes.

British Nationality: Torture

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he takes towards foreign governments alleged to have severely mistreated British citizens, including through the use of torture.

Meg Munn: The Government would take all allegations of mistreatment by a foreign government against British citizens extremely seriously. Our response would be determined by the circumstances of the case.

British Nationality: Torture

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which foreign governments the Government has received compensation following allegations of torture of British citizens since 8 December 1988; how much was paid in these cases; and how long the process took in each case.

Meg Munn: We are not aware of any compensation received by the Government from foreign governments following allegations of torture of British nationals.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not keep records of payments centrally. Providing a more detailed response would incur a disproportionate cost.

Cuba: Political Prisoners

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss  (a) the detention of journalist Victor Rolando Arroyo and  (b) the imprisonment of Dr. Jos Garca Paneque with the Cuban ambassador to the UK.

Meg Munn: Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials raise the continuing detention of political prisoners in Cuba with representatives of the Cuban government, including the ambassador, on a regular basis. I raised the issue of the continuing detention of all political prisoners in Cuba, including journalist Victor Rolando Arroya and Dr. Jos Garca Paneque, with Cuban Vice Foreign Minister Eumelio Caballero on 3 April and with the Cuban ambassador on 11 June.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what IT contracts his Departments and its agencies have entered into in the last two years.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its agencies have awarded the following information technology (IT) contracts in the last two years. This list is not exhaustive. Details of IT contracts are not held centrally and a full list could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	 FCO
	Provision of Managed Website Statistics ServiceNedstad
	Future Firecrest (new IT infrastructure) ConsultancyTribal
	Online Missing Persons and Travellers Registration SoftwareWorldreach
	Development of Ministerial Visits Co-ordination DatabaseParity
	Home Office Biometrics FrameworkStena
	FCOWeb FCO external websites platformLogica
	FCONet 3 Intranet DevelopmentLogica
	FCONet 3 Intranet SupportLogica
	Enterprise AgreementMicrosoft
	Premier Support AgreementMicrosoft
	 FCO Services
	Tempest Workstation, Peripheral Equipment and SupportAPI Europe
	Wider Internal Markets Hardware Support for UK/OverseasHewlett Packard
	 Wilton Park
	Contact Records Management system developmentGN Software

Departmental Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 9 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1657W, on departmental planning permission, if he will outline the nature of the alterations to the third floor of the Old Admiralty Building; and who the current residents of that floor are.

Meg Munn: Alterations were made to the third floor of the Old Admiralty Building to provide open plan office space for Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff.

Departmental Retirement

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has a standard retirement age; and how many employees have been asked to retire on reaching 65 years of age in each year since 2000.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has no mandatory retirement age for UK civil servants in the grades below senior management.
	For staff in the senior civil service (SCS)/senior management structure (SMS), the civil service imposes a default retirement age of 65. No serving members of the SCS/SMS in the FCO have reached 65 since 2006 (when the retirement age for these grades was raised from 60).

Iran: Guided Weapons

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with middle eastern governments on the testing of long-range Iranian missiles.

Kim Howells: The Government have not held any discussions specifically about the Iranian missile tests with middle eastern governments. However, we have a regular and ongoing dialogue with them at political and official level that includes how to respond to the threat to regional security posed by Iran and that will include developments such as this. We have made clear publicly that the tests only serve to reinforce international concerns about Iranian intentions.

Iran: Guided Weapons

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communications he has had with the Iranian government on the testing of its long-range missiles.

Kim Howells: We have not discussed the recent missile tests with the Iranian government, although we have made clear publicly that we feel the tests were an unwelcome move which can only serve to reinforce international concerns about Iranian intentions.

Iran: Guided Weapons

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his  (a) Israeli,  (b) Russian and  (c) American counterparts on the testing of long-range Iranian missiles.

Kim Howells: The Government have not held any discussions specifically about the Iranian missile tests with Israel, Russia or the US. However, we have a regular and ongoing dialogue with them at political and official level that includes how to respond to the threat to regional security posed by Iran and that will include developments such as this. We have made clear publicly that the tests only serve to reinforce international concerns about Iranian intentions.

Iraq: Asylum

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1826W, on Iraq: asylum, how many of the applications received under the Locally Employed Staff Assistance Scheme that were not from former Iraqi staff were from current Iraqi staff.

Kim Howells: 220 applications for assistance under the Locally Employed Staff Assistance Scheme have been received from currently employed staff. Of these 183 were from staff of the Ministry of Defence, 24 from staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and 13 from staff of the Department for International Development.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many allegations of misconduct have been made to his Department in respect of  (a) British nationals and  (b) nationals of other countries, other than Iraq, who are employees of private military or security companies contracted to work in Iraq by his Department; what the nature of each allegation is; what action his Department has taken in response; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: holding answer 21 July 2008
	There has been one allegation of misconduct by the Iraqi authorities against a private military and security company contracted by the Government to work in Iraq. A complaint was made in February 2008 that a weapon was discharged from a vehicle owned by a private military and security company contracted by the Government. We carried out an investigation and established that this was a case of mistaken identity, as none of the company's vehicles were in the area at the time.
	The only other allegation of misconduct of which we are aware was made in December 2007, by a local employee of a private military and security company which we had contracted to support police training in Basra. This individual returned a quantity of surplus ammunition which he alleged had been sold to him improperly by two expatriate employees, one British and one Australian, of the same private military and security company. By the time the allegation was made the two individuals who were the subject of the allegation were no longer employed on the contract in Basra, which was in the process of being wound up, nor were they in the UK. We and the head office of the company concerned investigated, taking a formal statement from the local employee and also contacting the two employees who were the subject of the allegation. Taking into account the content of the individuals' statements and the absence of any independent evidence, we determined that there were no grounds for taking the matter further.

Iraq: Radioactive Materials

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the US administration  (a) sought permission and  (b) gave prior notification to the Government in respect of the transport of uranium oxide from Iraq to Canada via Diego Garcia.

Kim Howells: I can confirm that the US Administration did seek permission from the Administration of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and gave prior notification in respect of the transport of natural uranium (yellowcake) through Diego Garcia for onward shipment to Canada.
	The BIOT Administration agreed to facilitate the shipment in order to assist its removal from Iraq, where its continued presence raised proliferation concerns.

Israel: Overseas Trade

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has recently had discussions with UK retailers and trade bodies representing companies which source goods from illegal Israeli settlements.

Kim Howells: We are concerned that goods from illegal Israeli settlements may be entering the UK under false pretences and without paying the correct customs duties. We take this issue seriously and have alerted HM Revenue and Customs to it so that they can take appropriate action. We have not had direct discussions with retailers or trade bodies.

Mediterranean Region: EU External Relations

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he made concerning human rights and in particular freedom of religion in the course of discussions on the EU-Mediterranean Union on 13 and 14 July; whether he made representations to the Algerian government on treatment of Christians and the enactment of restrictive laws; and what conclusions the EU-Mediterranean meeting reached in respect of freedom of religion in participating countries.

Kim Howells: holding answer 21 July 2008
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary attended the Paris Summit from 12-13 July to launch the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean. He held a range of bilateral meetings but was unable to find an opportunity to meet with the Algerian representatives.
	At this first summit for the Union for the Mediterranean, talks focused on the development of the Union and on priorities for the Union. The summit agreed to take forward projects on tackling climate change, promoting energy security and education. There were no discussions on the issue of freedom of religion at the summit.
	We continue to monitor the enforcement of religious laws in Algeria and are in contact with Christian leaders in Algiers. Since the laws came into effect there have been reports of people being arrested and sentenced for conducting 'evangelisation' campaigns. The laws have also led to the closing of some unauthorised places of worship, including those of Christian groups, and the arrest of unauthorised preachers. Our ambassador in Algiers plans to raise this issue with the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and we will continue to monitor the situation, raising individual cases when it is appropriate.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of continuing Israeli settlement expansion on the EU aim of achieving a sovereign, independent, contiguous and viable Palestinian state.

Kim Howells: Settlement expansion has a negative impact on the peace process and the EU's aim of achieving a Palestinian State. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said at his press conference in Bethlehem on 20 July,
	we want to see a freeze on settlements. Settlement expansion has made peace harder to achieve. It erodes trust, it heightens Palestinian suffering, it makes the compromises Israel will need to make for peace more difficult. So we are very clearnot just Britain but the whole of the EU- what should be done.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government intends to give to Israel to fulfil its commitment made in supporting the Final Declaration of the Union for the Mediterranean in Paris on 13th July to pursue a mutually and effectively verifiable Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction.

Kim Howells: We strongly support the declaration of the Union for the Mediterranean calling on all member states to pursue a Middle East zone free from weapons of mass destruction. We are working intensively with Israel and other states in the Middle East for a comprehensive regional peace settlement, and to ensure that Iran complies with its UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency obligations. This would provide the best possible context in which to work towards such a zone. We continue to call on all states in the region to adhere to key non-proliferation agreements.

Middle East: Weapons

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) diplomatic and  (b) practical steps his Department is taking to support the establishment of a verifiable Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction and associated delivery systems; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We strongly support the principle of establishing a Middle East zone free from weapons of mass destruction. We co-sponsored the resolution on the Middle East adopted at the 1995 non-proliferation treaty review conference and have consistently supported similar resolutions at the First Committee of the UN General Assembly. Our first priority is peace and stability in the region, including a resolution to the Middle East Peace Process. We are working intensively for a comprehensive regional peace settlement, and to ensure that Iran complies with its UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency obligations. This would provide the best possible context in which to work towards a weapons of mass destruction free zone in the Middle East.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to propose changes to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) has served the international community well. It remains the foundation of international non-proliferation efforts and a key contribution to collective peace and security. The UK does not plan to reopen the NPT for negotiation. But we are committed to a successful NPT review conference in 2010 and will work to promote consensus around key measures to strengthen the treaty's three pillars: zero tolerance of proliferation; a clear forward plan on multilateral nuclear disarmament; and supporting the right to the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Rwanda: Genocide

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the Genocide Ideology Law recently passed in Rwanda; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Rwandan Parliament adopted a new law criminalising genocide ideology in June 2008. The law is currently awaiting presidential signature. We have taken a close interest in the adoption of this legislation, including holding discussions during its development with the Government of Rwanda and interested non-governmental organisations.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Politics and Government

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the level of contingent liabilities for which the Government will be liable arising from any finding of systemic weakness in administration in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Meg Munn: The recently announced commission of inquiry in the Turks and Caicos Islands will report on any systemic weakness in its administration.

Ukraine: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he  (a) has had recently and  (b) plans to have with EU counterparts on anti-Semitism in (i) Ukraine and (ii) Russia; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The EU has regular political dialogue with Ukraine at which we make clear our concerns about respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. On 28 November 2007 the EU carried out a demarche at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to express concern about racist and anti-Semitic attacks. Under the terms of its relations with the EU, Ukraine is committed to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rights of persons belonging to minorities in line with international standards. Together with EU partners we have made it clear that we expect Ukraine to abide by these standards and values if it is to make progress on its aspirations for closer relations with the EU.
	We do have concerns regarding human rights and political freedoms in Russia, including the reported rise in violent attacks on ethnic and religious minorities. An outline of our assessment can be found in the 2007 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Human Rights Annual Report.
	We hold annual, bilateral human rights discussions with Russia. These were last held in January 2007 and they included discussion on the rights of ethnic and religious minorities. The next meeting is planned for later this year. We also raise our concerns through the EU/Russia human rights consultations, which were last held in April 2008. At the consultations the EU raised a number of concerns related to specific human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Russian Federation, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities and combating racism and xenophobia. We welcome President Medvedev's condemnation of any ethnic or religious enmity in his speech on 9 May.
	The FCO supports projects in Russia which promote human rights, including strengthening state and civil society capacity to combat religious and ethnic discrimination. Last year we spent 15,000 on such projects (out of a total spend of 700,000 to support human rights, good governance and reform in Russia).
	The UK is committed to combating anti-Semitism and all forms of racism. At the 2007 Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, held in Warsaw from 24 September to 5 October 2007, we were the first country to report in detail on how we have implemented the Berlin Declaration on Combating Anti-Semitism. We urged other participating states of the OSCE to do likewise. We will continue to work with our OSCE partners, including Russia, on intensifying efforts to combat anti-Semitism.

Ukraine: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Ukraine on  (a) anti-Semitism and  (b) anti-Semitic (i) organisations and (ii) publications in Ukraine; what response was received; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Our embassy in Kiev regularly raises issues relating to anti-Semitism with the Ukrainian authorities, including the specific concerns about the policies and publications of the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management. Our embassy in Kiev is also in close contact with local human rights organisations and representatives of the Jewish community with regard to issues relating to anti-Semitism in Ukraine. The UK has made clear that we expect Ukraine to abide by its commitments to human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights of minorities, as a member of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Ukraine: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of levels of anti-Semitism in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: We are very concerned about the high level of anti-Semitism in Ukraine. A poll conducted in 2006 found that one in three Ukrainians do not want Jews to be citizens, while investigations into suspected anti-Semitic attacks often fail to result in arrests. President Yushchenko has spoken out strongly and frequently against anti-Semitism and stated that he would take a resolute stance on the matter. This has resulted in a number of welcome developments: the security service and Ministry of Interior have set up units to combat racism and religious hatred; and a task force for the development of a national action plan to combat xenophobia and intolerance has been established. In 2008 a number of proposals for legislative reform that could result in tougher action against anti-Semitism were tabled.

Zimbabwe: Elections

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from the British Embassy in  (a) Windhoek,  (b) Gabarone,  (c) Maputo and  (d) Luanda on the attitude of those countries to the legitimacy of elections in Zimbabwe.

Meg Munn: Countries in the region have expressed a range of views in response to the sham election which took place in Zimbabwe on 27 June. But there is a common thread, they are all concerned about the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe and the violence and instability accompanying it. Election observers from the Southern African Development Community, which represents countries in the region, have stated clearly that the election on 27 June did not represent the will of the Zimbabwean people.
	The UK continues to engage with Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Angola and all of the countries in the region with the aim of supporting the establishment of a transitional Government in Zimbabwe that can start to repair the damage done to democracy, rule of law and economic well-being by the Mugabe regime.

Zimbabwe: Foreign Relations

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the objectives of the Government are in its policy towards Zimbabwe.

Meg Munn: The Government's overall objective is that the democratic right of the people of Zimbabwe to choose who leads their country, and how it is governed, should be respected. The Zimbabwean people clearly indicated on 29 March their wish for a change of government and president, We do not respect the legitimacy of any Government in Zimbabwe that does not reflect that wish. The onus now is on the regionthe Southern African Development Community and the African Unionto demonstrate that they are serious about making dialogue work.
	We are also deeply concerned at the growing humanitarian crisis and are pressing the Zimbabwean authorities to immediately allow full and non-discriminatory access to humanitarian assistance to prevent the suffering of the most vulnerable people in Zimbabwe.
	We shall continue our twin track approach of applying pressure on the Mugabe regime's elite via targeted sanctions and keeping the ordinary people of Zimbabwe alive through our contribution as the second largest bilateral donor of aid. We will continue to press others to join us in that approach.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Biofuels

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions his Department has had on the EU's proposed biofuels sustainability criteria; and whether he plans to review the Government's own criteria in relation to biofuels.

Malcolm Wicks: The UK Government have been, and will continue to be, actively involved in discussions on sustainability criteria for biofuels at all levels in Brussels. These talks include Coreper, the ad hoc sustainability working group and in bilateral and other meetings with representatives from the European Commission and other member states.
	Ministers and officials in the relevant Government Departments work together closely on these issues. We have been pressing for the sustainability criteria for biofuels to be as robust and comprehensive as possible, and in the light of the findings of the Gallagher review, we will also now press for them to take proper account of the indirect impacts of biofuels.
	Once the renewable energy directive is adopted, the UK will need to amend its own sustainability requirements for biofuels accordingly. The detail of the renewable transport fuel obligation's reporting requirements is a matter for the Renewable Fuels Agency.

Business: Females

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of each regional development agency's funding of women's enterprise.

Patrick McFadden: The Department and the regional development agencies are currently carrying out a major project which will evaluate all the agencies' programmes. Where agencies have discrete programmes for women's enterprise those will be evaluated separately. The result of the project will be published in the autumn.
	The RDAs are our key partners in promoting enterprise and we are working collaboratively with them in the roll out of the strong package of measures on women's enterprise announced recently as part of the Government's Enterprise Strategy. Those measures include provision for: 12.5 million of Government capital through a women's investment fund; women's business centre pilots; enhanced mentoring support; a new national enterprise centre of expertise; a media campaign; and activity aimed at opening up procurement opportunities to women-owned businesses. More information on the strategy is available at:
	www.berr.gov.uk/enterprisestrategy

Canatxx

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has met representatives of Canatxx to discuss gas storage in the last 12 months.

Malcolm Wicks: Yes. Representatives of Canatxx gave me an oral presentation on their Preesall gas storage project (as well as their Amlwch LNG import project) on 5 December 2007.

Coal: Imports

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many tonnes of coal were imported into Britain in 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: Provisional figures show 43.3 million tonnes of coal were imported into the United Kingdom during 2007.

Coal: Mining

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many tonnes of coal were mined from Britain's deep coal mines in 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: Provisional figures show 7.7 million tonnes of coal were mined from deep mines in the United Kingdom during 2007.

Companies House: Telephone Services

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what income his Department received from the Companies House 0870 number in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06.

Gareth Thomas: The current income received by Companies House for the use of the 0870 number is as follows:
	
		
			   Current income received () 
			 2007-08 8,500 
			 2006-07 28,700 
			 2005-06 44,500 
		
	
	There is however an ongoing dispute over a rebate for 2006-07 and 2007-08. The expected income should be on similar lines as 2005-06.

Conditions of Employment: Parents

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which business leaders he and his predecessor have met in the last 12 months to discuss family-friendly working practices.

Gareth Thomas: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular meetings with the Confederation of British Industry, the Engineering Employers' Federation, the Institute of Directors and the British Chambers of Commerce. Family-friendly working practices are discussed.

Departmental Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the reasons were for the time taken to transfer the letter of 18 June from the hon. Member for Walsall, North to the Department of Work and Pensions, ref: 74157; and if he will take steps to speed up the transfer of correspondence by his Department.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 21 July 2008
	A delay was occasioned because policy officials were in discussion about which Department should lead on the issues raised not only by my hon. Friend but by many other hon. Members.
	It was agreed that it was for the Department of Work and Pensions to respond and all letters received were transferred from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on 30 June. Due to the volume of letters transferred, there was a delay in sending out letters to the Members concerned to inform them of the transfer for which I apologise.
	This Department has reviewed its procedures to ensure that, in future, adequate resources are in place to cope with the transfer of such volumes of correspondence.

Departmental Early Retirement

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies have taken early retirement in the last two years.

Gareth Thomas: The Civil Service Compensation scheme (CSCS) provides compensation for civil servants who depart early under the following categories:
	compulsory early retirement or severance;
	flexible early retirement or severance;
	approved early retirement
	Those over 50 receive early retirement; those under 50 generally qualify for lump sum severance payments.
	The number of employees who have taken early retirement in BERR in the last two years (1 April to 31 March) are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006-07 31 
			 2007-08 83 
		
	
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House and they will respond to you directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 21 July 2008:
	I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	In the last two financial years twenty-two employees left Companies House due to early retirement.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 21 July 2008:
	The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly in respect of your question (2007/3388) asking how many staff have taken early retirement from the Insolvency Service within the last two years.
	Seven staff have taken early retirement in the last two years.

Departmental ICT

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value of his Department's computer systems  (a) was at the time of purchase and  (b) is now.

Gareth Thomas: The core Department outsourced its IT services to Fujitsu Services Ltd. via a private finance initiative (PFI) agreement awarded in 1998. The value of the agreement can be found in the Department's accounts. The agreement commenced in April 1999 and runs for 15 years. As the Department leases its computer equipment through this agreement, any financial depreciation is the responsibility of the supplier as they are responsible for the refresh of the equipment under the terms of the agreement.
	Information on any other systems outside of the core Department's PFI agreement could be obtained only with disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many permanent staff within  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies are classed as (i) staff without posts and (ii) part of a people action team.

Gareth Thomas: The Department currently has four people actively seeking posts within the Department or elsewhere in Whitehall.
	The Department's agencies have delegated responsibility for their human resource functions and the information requested is not held centrally. I have therefore approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House and they will respond to you directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 21 July 2008:
	I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	Companies House has no staff without posts or as part of a people action team.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 21 July 2008:
	The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of the Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2007/2951) asking how many permanent staff within (a) his Department and (b) its agencies are classed as (i) staff without posts and (ii) part of a people action team.
	The Insolvency Service does not have any permanent staff that are classed as staff without posts and part of a people action team. Therefore is a nil return.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the change in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies has been since the Department was established.

Gareth Thomas: When the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform was established on 30 June 2007, the number of staff employed by its predecessor, the Department of Trade and Industry, was 2,813. The current number of core BERR staff is 2,607 (excluding UKTI).
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service and Companies House and they will respond to you directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 22 July 2008:
	I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	When the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform was established in June 2007 Companies House had 1,153 employees (1,045 full time equivalent), and at the end of June 2008 there was 1,196 employees (1,092 full time equivalent).
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 22 July 2008:
	The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly in respect of your question (2007/3374) asking what the change has been in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies since the Department was established.
	Since our parent Department BERR was established in 2007, The Insolvency Service has increased its number of employees by 217.

Departmental Pay

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of staff of his Department and its agencies did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them since his Department was established.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform awards non-consolidated special bonuses throughout the year to staff to recognise performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations. There is no maximum limit to the size of bonus that can be awarded but bonus costs are constrained to an overall cost limit, so it is not possible to say what proportion of staff did not receive the maximum bonus possible.
	The agencies of BERR are Companies House and the Insolvency Service. Information on their bonus schemes are an operational matter for the chief executives of BERR's agencies and I have asked them to reply to the right. hon. Member direct. A copy of their replies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 22 July 2008:
	I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	Companies House awards special non-consolidated bonuses to staff throughout the year for exceptional performance. It also has a corporate bonus scheme linked to performance against a range of targets. There is no limit to the special bonuses except the budget for the scheme so no member of staff received the maximum bonus possible. On the corporate scheme, again, no member of staff received 100% of the maximum bonus possible.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 22 July 2008:
	The Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to you directly in respect of your question (2007/3387) asking how many of The Insolvency Service's staff did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them since his Department was established.
	The Insolvency Service special bonus scheme does not have a maximum value for any one particular bonus payment. The scheme as a whole is subject to an annual cost of no more than 0.4% of its annual pay bill.

Departmental Regulation

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the projected budget for each regulator for which his Department is responsible is for each financial year to 2011-12.

Gareth Thomas: The projected total net budget for each Statutory Regulator for which the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has responsibility is shown in the following table. Budgets within central government are set for periods of 3 years and the budgets are therefore shown for each financial year from 2008-09 to 2010-11.
	
		
			  000 
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			  Regulator  Resource  Capital  Resource  Capital  Resource  Capital 
			 The Coal Authority 27,349 8,710 28,496 4,849 30,200 4,222 
			
			 Competition Commission 21,550  20,943  20,426  
			
			 Financial Reporting Council 3,467  3,467  3,467

Departmental Research

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of his Department's budget and that of its predecessor was used for research within its areas of responsibility in each of the last 10 years.

Gareth Thomas: Historic data on key science, engineering and technology research are collated by the Office for National Statistics in their Science, Engineering and Technology statistics. These can be found at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/dius/science/science-funding/set-stats/index.html
	This includes outturn data for the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's (BERR) predecessor, the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) going back 10 years.
	The Department's Annual Resource Accounts also include information on amounts spent on Research and Development alongside other programme expenditure. The information may be found at notes 10 and 11 of the 2006-07 DTI Resource Accounts. BERR's 2007-08 Resource Accounts will be published shortly.

Departmental Retirement

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the standard retirement age in his Department is; and how many people in his Department and its predecessor worked beyond the standard retirement age in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The retirement age in the Civil Service for staff below the SCS is delegated to individual departments and agencies under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992 as set out in Chapter 11 of the Civil Service Management Code. The retirement age for the SCS is not delegated to departments and is 65. Members of the Senior Civil Service (SCS) have the right to request to continue to work beyond age 65 in the same way as those below the SCS.
	The standard retirement age in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is 65. When an employee reaches age 64 and four months they are sent a letter providing details of their retirement date and how to request to continue to work beyond age 65 if they wish to do so.
	The numbers of employees who worked beyond their 65th birthday in each of the last five years in BERR (and the former Department of Trade and Industry) are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2008 (1)17 
			 2007 9 
			 2006 9 
			 2005 11 
			 2004 12 
			 (1) Of which five have since retired

Departmental Retirement

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many employees in his Department have been asked to retire on reaching 65 in each year since 2000.

Gareth Thomas: The retirement age in the civil service for staff below the senior civil service (SCS) is delegated to individual departments and agencies under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992 as set out in Chapter 11 of the Civil Service Management Code.
	The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations which came into force on 1 October 2006, made it illegal to discriminate on grounds of age unless it can be objectively justified (in very narrow circumstances). A 'right to consider' procedure was included in the regulations, which allows employees to request to work beyond the retirement age of their organisation but employers do not have to agree to the request nor give a reason for their decision.
	The standard retirement age in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is 65. Employees are not asked to retire at age 65. When an employee reaches 64 and four months they are provided with details of their retirement and informed of their right to request to continue to work beyond age 65 if they wish to do so.
	The retirement age for the SCS is not delegated to Departments and is 65. Members of the SCS have the right to request to continue to work beyond age 65 in the same way as those below the SCS.

Electricity: Meters

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many electricity consumers with dynamically teleswitched meters there were in Scotland  (a) in 2005 and  (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many consumers who now have such meters are no longer supplied by their previous electricity supplier.

Malcolm Wicks: The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) has some data about dynamically teleswitched meter customers in Scotland. In September 2003, there were 228,000 dynamically teleswitched meter customers. Ofgem does not have data for 2005, but that number had fallen to 176,000 by July 2008. Data on how many dynamically teleswitched meter customers have switched to another supplier are not available.

Environment

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the evidential basis is for the Government's estimate of the value of the environmental industries by 2010, including renewables and nuclear energy, waste management and pollution control.

Malcolm Wicks: Figures for the UK's environmental industries, includes the renewables, waste management and pollution control sub-sectors, come from the report 'Emerging Markets in the Environmental Industries Sector', written by the UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development (UKCEED) for the DTI and published in November 2006.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's statement that a significant expansion of nuclear in the UK in the coming decades (going beyond 2010) could potentially create up to 100,000 jobs was based on a 20-reactor (10 station) fleet and the experience of jobs created from past nuclear construction in the UK and in other countries.
	This includes jobs in the nuclear power stations, off site jobs for corporate, business, maintenance and fuel cycle functions, construction jobs, and jobs in the engineering and construction supply chains. This could represent around 20 billion worth of business for UK companies.

Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions staff employed by his Department have defrauded his Department in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: 11 members of staff have defrauded the Department and its predecessor, the DTI, in the last 10 years.
	All cases have resulted in disciplinary action being taken.

Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the losses to his Department from fraud committed by staff of his Department in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: We do not make estimates of losses. The Department conducts an annual exercise to collate details of discovered cases and passes the result to HM Treasury for inclusion in their Annual Report of Fraud against Government Departments.
	The Annual Fraud Report analyses data submitted by central Government Departments and their agencies about fraud and theft perpetrated by staff. Reports for 2006-07 and the previous two years can be found on Treasury's public website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_spending_reporting/governance_risk/psr_managing_risk_of_fraud.cfm

Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff were prosecuted for  (a) attempting to defraud and  (b) defrauding his Department in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: There has been one prosecution since 2003 for attempting to defraud, and defrauding the Department and its predecessor, the DTI, since 2003.

Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff of his Department were responsible for each instance of fraud or attempted fraud in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: One member of staff was responsible for each instance of fraud or attempted fraud in each year since 2003 in this Department and its predecessor.

Fuel Poverty: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of households in fuel poverty in each London borough in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: London borough level estimates of fuel poverty are available only for 2003. The following table shows fuel poverty levels taken from the Fuel Poverty Indicator dataset, available online at:
	http://www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/
	for all the London boroughs.
	
		
			  London borough  Estimate of number of fuel poor households 
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,900 
			 Barnet 6,700 
			 Bexley 5,000 
			 Brent 5,300 
			 Bromley 6,700 
			 Camden 4,800 
			 City of London 200 
			 Croydon 7,700 
			 Ealing 6,100 
			 Enfield 6,000 
			 Greenwich 5,300 
			 Hackney 4,600 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,800 
			 Haringey 5,200 
			 Harrow 4,000 
			 Havering 5,000 
			 Hillingdon 4,800 
			 Hounslow 4,300 
			 Islington 4,200 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4,100 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,200 
			 Lambeth 6,100 
			 Lewisham 5,900 
			 Merton 4,200 
			 Newham 5,800 
			 Redbridge 5,200 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,100 
			 Southwark 5,400 
			 Sutton 3,900 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,800 
			 Waltham Forest 5,300 
			 Wandsworth 5,900 
			 Westminster 5,600 
			 Total 162,200

Fuels: Prices

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the estimated average  (a) monthly and  (b) annual fuel bills were for families in England and Wales in each of the last three years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region.

Malcolm Wicks: Fuel bills are only available on an annual basis and only for electricity and gas. Total and regionally split bills for domestic electricity and gas are published quarterly in tables 2.2.3 and 2.3.3 respectively of quarterly energy prices, available online at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/statistics/publications/prices/idex.html
	A copy of this is also available from the House of Commons Library.

Group of Eight: Oil

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what contribution the Government plans to make to the World Energy Forum announced at the G8 summit on 8 July.

Malcolm Wicks: In the communiqu of 8 July following the G8 summit in Hokkaido, G8 leaders proposed the holding of an energy forum to focus on energy efficiency and new technologies, which could also contribute to dialogue between energy producers and consumers. Japan has offered to host the Forum (which is anticipated to take place this autumn).
	The United Kingdom will participate actively in the forum which will feed into the follow-up to the Jeddah energy consumers-producers' meeting in June that we will convene in London before the end of the year.

Industrial Disputes

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many working days were lost to industrial action in  (a) Leeds Metropolitan District and  (b) Yorkshire and Humberside in each year since 1997.

Patrick McFadden: Data on days lost to industrial action are collected by the Office for National Statistics only at Government Office Region level. Therefore information on days lost relating to the Leeds Metropolitan District is outside of the scope of data collected. The available data for days lost to industrial action in the Government Office region of Yorkshire and Humberside are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Working days lost 
			 1997 13,768 
			 1998 2,154 
			 1999 21,753 
			 2000 8,008 
			 2001 49,425 
			 2002 91,175 
			 2003 16,921 
			 2004 80,081 
			 2005 8,944 
			 2006 51,877 
			 2007 76,189

Insolvency

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) public limited companies,  (b) other incorporated companies and  (c) unincorporated associations became insolvent in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: The information requested is available only for numbers of insolvency procedures, and does not, therefore, provide a count of actual companies becoming insolventthe same company may enter, successively, into more than one insolvency procedure.
	Corporate insolvency procedures include: compulsory liquidations, creditors' voluntary liquidations, administrations, receiverships and company voluntary arrangements.
	Table 1 breaks each of these procedures down further, by type: into public limited companies (PLCs), private limited companies (Private Ltd.) and other (Other), for new cases in 2007. All the information recorded under Table 1 has been provided by Companies House from their company database, as at July 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Insolvency procedure  Company type  Insolvencies in 2007 
			 Compulsory Liquidation PLC 38 
			  Private Ltd. 5,070 
			  Other 17 
			
			 Creditors Voluntary Liquidation PLC 32 
			  Private Ltd. 7,430 
			  Other 19 
			
			 Creditors Voluntary Liquidation (following Administration) PLC 22 
			  Private Ltd. 1,071 
			  Other 2 
			
			 CVA PLC 7 
			  Private Ltd. 413 
			  Other 1 
			
			 Receiver Appointments PLC 2 
			  Private Ltd. 329 
			  Other 3 
			
			 In Administration PLC 52 
			  Private Ltd. 2,456 
			  Other 11 
			
			 Total procedures, by Company type PLC 153 
			  Private Ltd. 16,769 
			  Other 53

Marine Renewables Deployment Fund

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations his Department has received on conditions for qualification for the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: BERR officials are in regular contact with industry representative bodies and individual companies on various issues of importance to them, one of which is the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund (MRDF).
	The MRDF is a demonstration scheme and was designed to show that a device had finished its research and development stage and was ready for roll-out as a commercial product. The recent report on marine renewable energy issued by the Renewables Advisory Board (RAB) endorsed the design of the scheme and noted that it acts as an encouragement to developers to progress beyond the research phase to demonstration and deployment. Of course, we will be looking at the RAB report's detailed recommendations concerning the MRDF in light of responses to the renewable energy strategy consultation and will consider any necessary adjustments to the scheme in due course.

Minimum Wage: Service Industries

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that all waiting staff are guaranteed the national minimum wage, excluding gratuities, and that any gratuities given by customers are received in full by waiting staff with no deductions by employers; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The use of tips as part of the national minimum wage is a complex issue. It is important to remember that under the current law workers are always entitled to receive the minimum wage.
	Tips may count toward the minimum wage only where they have been paid through the employer's payroll.
	We are already looking at this issue very carefully and believe tipping should be fairer and more transparent. Practice on tipping varies widely. In considering any change in this area, the Government would obviously consult fully and look at a range of options in line with better regulation.

Nuclear Power

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many meetings he and his officials have had with representatives of  (a) the nuclear energy industry and  (b) the combined heat and power industry since January 2007; who attended each meeting; when each was held; and what matters were discussed.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 21 July 2008
	Ministers and officials have held meetings with representatives of both industries. A full list could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Nuclear Power

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his Department's budget is in 2008-09 for work associated with  (a) nuclear energy and  (b) combined heat and power.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The department spends approximately 56 million per annum on international commitments associated with nuclear energy, including monies for the Global Partnership Fund for the former Soviet Union.
	In addition the department spends 12.6 million on activities related to both legacy and new build nuclear policy.
	Apart from a small sum paid for the collection of statistics, the department does not have a budget for work associated with combined heat and power. Policy lead on CHP rests with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the administrative costs of this work in BERR are not separately identified.

Offshore Drilling: Oil

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 142-44W, on offshore drilling: oil, what sources of oil and gas have been identified by the exploratory drilling recorded by his Department off the coast of  (a) the Isles of Scilly,  (b) Cornwall and  (c) South West England; and what assessment has been made of whether such sources can be exploited.

Malcolm Wicks: From the list provided in my answer of 23 June, one exploration well only, number 103/1-1, discovered any appreciable hydrocarbons, which were probably sourced from shales of Jurassic age. This is situated due west of St. David's Head. There are currently no plans with the Department for development.
	The nearby areas offered in the recent 25th Licensing Round have not attracted interest from oil companies.

Olympic Games

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 949-50W, on the Olympic games, what estimate he has made of the cost of his Department's Ministers' and officials' attendance at the Beijing Olympics.

Patrick McFadden: My noble Friend the Minister for Trade and Investment will be in Beijing from Thursday 21 August to Tuesday 26 August and will attend the closing ceremony only of the Olympic games.
	The purpose of his visit is to promote British business capability, FDI and partnership opportunities in general as well as business opportunities arising from the London 2012 games. During his visit, my noble Friend will support several key business events and initiatives.
	He will be accompanied by his private secretary and three BERR officials who will support him during the business side of his visit. The estimated cost of the trip for the party is 28,200.

Photovoltaics

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with his German counterpart on mechanisms to encourage installation of photovoltaic panels.

Malcolm Wicks: In December 2007 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met with Matthias Machnig, State Secretary of the German Ministry for the Environment, where they discussed a number of energy related issues, including renewables. In November 2007 I also met with Mr. Machnig to discuss climate change and energy policy. This is in addition to other discussions both my right hon. Friend and I have had with German Ministers during and in the margins of European and international meetings.

Post Offices: Newcastle University

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what estimate Post Office Ltd has made of the net annual saving which will arise from the closure of the Newcastle University Union Society post office; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment Post Office Ltd has made of the effect of closure of the Newcastle University Union Society post office on students in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 21 July 2008
	This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Regional Development Agencies: Fraud

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the losses to each regional development agency from fraud committed by staff of her Department in each year since the agencies were established; and if she will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: BERR does not make estimates of losses but performs an annual exercise to record actual instances of discovered fraud, details of which are supplied to HM Treasury for inclusion in their Annual Fraud Report. Discovered levels of fraud in BERR and, previously in DTI, are extremely low.
	Moreover I am not aware of any instance where fraudulent action by a BERR or DTI member of staff has resulted in a loss to a Regional Development Agency.

Regional Development Agencies: Rural Areas

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken to ensure that regional development agencies have a clear strategy for development in rural areas, with particular reference to remote locations.

Patrick McFadden: The Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 states explicitly that a regional development agency's purposes apply as much in relation to the rural parts of its area as in relation to the non-rural parts of its area. The Act requires a Regional Development Agency (RDA) to formulate and keep under review a strategy in relation to its purposes and to have regard to the strategy in exercising its functions. This strategy should reflect the distinctiveness of the different parts of the region, including rural areas, identifying challenges and opportunities for these geographic areas.
	The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has also issued guidance obliging the Regional Development Agencies to ensure that their new corporate plans for 2008-11 tackle rural needs as a cross-cutting requirement. They have to demonstrate that they are ensuring that all sub-regions and localities within each region, including both rural and urban areas, can achieve their potential, consistent with the Government's objectives on creating economic opportunities for all and tackling spatial concentrations of deprivation.

Regulation: Standards

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which  (a) statutory regulators and  (b) inspectorates are covered by the Regulators' Compliance Code.

Patrick McFadden: The functions to which the Regulators' Compliance Code applies are set out in the Legislative and Regulatory Reform (Regulatory Functions) Order 2007 (SI 2007 No. 3544), which is available on the OPSI web-link at:
	http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/pdf/uksi_20073544 en.pdf.
	Broadly the statutory regulators to which the Compliance Code applies are set out in Part 1 of the Schedule to that Order, and there are 30 of them. Part 2 covers the regulatory functions exercisable by a Minister of the Crown and Part 3 covers the regulatory functions exercisable by local authorities.

Renewable Energy

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to his Department's June 2008 consultation paper on renewable energy strategy, what proportion of the UK's renewable energy target of 15 per cent. by 2020 he expects to be met from  (a) Northern Ireland,  (b) Scotland and  (c) Wales.

Malcolm Wicks: The European Commission's proposed target of 15 per cent. renewable energy in the UK by 2020 does not specify where in the UK renewables should be located. We are working with all the Devolved Administrations in developing our Renewable Energy Strategy, but we have not yet reached a view on the proportion of the 2020 target that will be met from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to take account of affordability in developing its renewable energy strategy which do not make costs for domestic or business users unaffordable.

Malcolm Wicks: We are consulting this summer on how to meet the UK's share of the 2020 renewable energy target in the most cost-effective way.

Royal Mail: Pensions

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 257W, on Royal Mail: pensions, what the value of the investment fund established to support the Royal Mail pension plan was on  (a) 31 March 2008 and  (b) 30 June 2008.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 July 2008
	The value of the escrow account put in place to support the Royal Mail pension fund was 1,071 million on 31 March 2008 and l,089 million on 30 June 2008.

Seals: Animal Products

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the  (a) amount and  (b) value of each category of seal product (i) imports and (ii) exports was in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The following table sets out information on trade in seal fur and products:
	
		
			   Total UK imports  Total UK exports 
			 kgkg 
			 2003 95,455 2,450 29,717 421 
			 2004 296,117 3,624 197,796 4,888 
			 2005 238,194 4,129 243,024 3,638 
			 2006 204,465 2,931 239,625 8,565 
			 2007 173,407 957 1,879 33 
		
	
	A detailed breakdown of these figures from 2003-07 are as follows:
	
		
			  Imports 
			sterling  kg 
			  Comcode  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 43017010: Raw seal furskins, whole, with or without head, tail or paws: raw furskins of whitecoat pups of harp seal and of pups of hooded seal (blue-backs) ass n/a n/a 
			 43017090:raw seal furskins, whole, with or without head, tail or paws: raw furskins of sea-lions, fur seals, other seals  4,542 540  n/a  110 4  n/a 
			 43021941:whole furskins, NES, tanned or dressed, with or without head, tail or paws, not assembled: tanned or dressed furskins-of whitecoat pups of harp seal (blue-backs) not ass   15,395 248   
			 43021949: whole furskins, NES, tanned or dressed, with or without head, tail or paws, not assembled: tanned or dressed furskins of sea-lions of fur seals  other seals not ass 70,421 260,868 194,585 132,090 106,506 2,047 2,555 3,350 1,295 258 
			 43023051:whole furskins and pieces or cuttings thereof, assembled (o/t of heading 848.30 [848.31 in 2007] ): tanned or dressed furskins of whitecoat pups of harp seal or of pups of hooded seal (blue-backs)   
			 43023055: whole furskins and pieces or cuttings thereof, assembled (o/t of heading 848.30 [848.31 in 2007] ):tanned or dressed furskins of sea-lions, of fur seals of other seals ass 24,443 30,597 27,674 72,375 66,901 397 958 527 1,636 699 
			 43031010:Articles of furskin, (not including headgear):articles of apparel of furskins of whitecoat pups of harp seal or of pups of hooded seal (blue-backs) 591 1106 1
			 Total 95,455 296,117 238,194 204,465 173,407 2,450 3,624 4,129 2,931 957 
		
	
	
		
			  Exports 
			  Sterling  Kg 
			  Comcode  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 43017010: Raw seal furskins, whole, with or without head, tail or paws: raw furskins of whitecoat pups of harp seal and of pups of hooded seal (blue-backs) ass n/a n/a 
			 43017090: Raw seal furskins, whole, with or without head, tail or paws: raw furskins of sea-lions, fur seals, other seals  136,741 66,531 2,105 n/a  1,940 2,438 4 n/a 
			 43021941: Whole furskins, NES, tanned or dressed, with or without head, tail or paws, not assembled: tanned or dressed furskins-of whitecoat pups of harp seal (blue-backs) not ass   
			 43021949:Whole furskins, NES, tanned or dressed, with or without head, tail or paws, not assembled: tanned or dressed furskins of sea-lions of fur seals and other seals not ass 29,717 53,457 176,493 221,029 1,879 421 2,927 1,200 1,261 33 
			 43023051: Whole furskins and pieces or cuttings thereof, assembled (o/t of heading 848.30 [848.31 in 2007] ): tanned or dressed furskins of whitecoat pups of harp seal or of pups of hooded seal (blue-backs)   
			 43023055:Whole furskins and pieces or cuttings thereof, assembled (o/t of heading 848.30 [848.31 in 2007] ):tanned or dressed furskins of sea-lions, of fur seals of other seals ass  7,598  16,491   21  7,300  
			 43031010: Articles of furskin, (not including headgear):articles of apparel of furskins of whitecoat pups of harp seal or of pups of hooded seal (blue-backs)   
			 Total 29,717 197,796 243,024 239,625 1,879 421 4,888 3,638 8,565 33

Sellafield: Insurance

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, column 76W, on Sellafield, what the financial value is of the insurance indemnity against claims deemed to be uninsurable to be granted to the successful bidder to manage Sellafield; and how this figure was calculated.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 21 July 2008
	While the impact of any call on the proposed nuclear indemnity could be very high, there is an extremely small possibility only of the indemnity ever being used, and it is therefore not possible to put a meaningful financial value on the indemnity. The impossibility of quantifying the monetary value of the indemnity is the main reason that there is no commercially available insurance, and the reason an indemnity is needed.

Severn Barrage: Railways

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what consideration the Government has given to the feasibility of including a new railway line in the Severn barrage project.

Malcolm Wicks: We published the terms of reference for the Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study in January. The terms of reference for the study reflect the Government view that there is not currently a strategic case to justify new transport links between Wales and south-west of England. The evidence is based primarily on the Eddington Review which is being responded to through the Government's Towards a Sustainable Transport Systemboth of these documents are available on the Department for Transport's website at
	www.dft.gov.uk.
	We expect to be consulting on the scope of the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) for a tidal power project in the Severn estuary later in the year and do not at this stage envisage including new transport links within the scope. That is not to say a new transport link could not be considered at a later stagebut such a development may require further assessments of its environmental impacts at that time.
	The Department for Transport have commissioned further work from the Highways Agency and Network Rail on engineering issues and longer term transport requirements across the Severn estuary. The results of these high-level assessments will be available in the autumn.

Silverstone

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the local economic effects on Milton Keynes of Silverstone losing the right to hold the Formula 1 Grand Prix from 2010.

Patrick McFadden: No economic assessment has been made specifically for Milton Keynes. An Economic Impact Assessment was completed in 2003 on the Fosters British Grand Prix 2002 at Silverstone but it did not narrow it down to specific areas. A new Economic Assessment is being commissioned by Northampton Enterprise on the effect of the move from Silverstone.

Small Businesses: Ethnic Groups

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of new businesses started by  (a) women and  (b) black and ethnic minority people in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: The Department does not produce estimates of the number of business start-ups by women and ethnic minority people.
	However estimates are available of the number of newly self-employed people by gender and ethnicity from analysis of the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey.
	BERR analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey on newly self-employed women and ethnic minority people is shown in the following table for the years 2003 to 2007.
	
		
			  Newly self-employed( 1) , UK 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Female 134,900 128,600 133,700 132,100 136,000 
			 Ethnic Minority(2) 29,800 30,900 30,500 30,500 41,200 
			 Total 412,000 412,500 394,600 361,500 407,200 
			 (1) Those who in each quarter say they have been self-employed for less than three months.  (2) All non-white ethnic minority groups.   Source: BERR analysis of ONS Labour Force.

Supermarkets

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects to respond to the Competition Commission's report on supermarkets.

Gareth Thomas: I expect to issue the Government's response to the Competition Commission's report during July and within the 90 days set out in guidance.

Supermarkets: Ombudsman

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will adopt the Competition Commission's proposal of an ombudsman for supermarkets; and if he will make it his policy that the ombudsman should represent the local interest in supply chain operations.

Gareth Thomas: The CC is seeking, under Section 159 of the Enterprise Act 2002, undertakings from the grocery retailers covered by the new groceries supply code of practice (GSCOP) to establish an ombudsman to monitor and enforce compliance with the GSCOP. If the CC is unsuccessful in establishing the Ombudsman within a reasonable period of time, the CC will formally ask BERR to take the necessary steps to set up an ombudsman. BERR would then carry out a full consultation before taking a decision on the way forward.

Trade Competitiveness: Medical Equipment

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the likely levels of future competitiveness in the market for  (a) urology-related products,  (b) stoma-related products and  (c) single-line items.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department works closely with other Government Departments, including the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, to improve patients' access to beneficial new treatments and medical technologies. The contribution that innovative medical technologies can make to the delivery of modern health and social care services was recognised as part of Lord Darzi's report on the NHS Next Stage Review High Quality Care For All published on 30 June 2008. As a result, the Department is working across Government and with the medical technology industry to develop a strategy which promotes uptake of clinically and cost effective innovative products throughout the care pathway. A copy if the Next Stage Review has already been placed in the Library.
	Regarding stoma and urology items that are dispensed in Primary Care, mechanisms are in place to assess innovation when a supplier seeks to have an item listed in the Drug Tariff. Similar mechanisms would apply to single-line items.
	The Department is seeking best value for money from the expenditure it makes in all areas of healthcare.
	In Secondary Care, buyers procure goods and services via a tendering process. Consequently, market forces will drive a level of competition among suppliers who wish to secure NHS contracts.
	Regarding the provision of stoma and urology items in primary care, the Department recently published an impact assessment (IA) alongside the consultation entitled Proposed new arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and urology appliancesand related servicesin Primary Care. June 2008. The IA considers the impact of the proposals set out in the consultation and includes a robust competition impact. A copy if the IA has already been placed in the Library.

Trade Unions

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations he has received from trades unions on  (a) alternative means of conducting union ballots and  (b) secondary industrial action with the same company as the primary action; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The TUC's General Secretary regularly meets my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, to discuss a range of issues which have included TUC proposals for reform to industrial action law. They last met on the 26 June.

UBS

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what contracts have been awarded to UBS and its sister companies by his Department since June 2007.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 21 July 2008
	Central records indicate that no contracts have been awarded by the Department to UBS since June 2007.
	Further information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Wind Power

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the  (a) progress towards and  (b) the merits of the target for offshore wind energy production; and what steps he plans to take to meet that target.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government do not have a target for 33 GW of electricity from offshore wind by 2020.
	On 10 December 2007, the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform commissioned a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) on a draft plan for up to an additional 25 GW (installed capacity) of new offshore wind farms by 2020, in addition to the 8 GW already planned.
	The assessment will consider the potential impacts and implications of future development before any decision is made as to what is an acceptable level of development. The SEA is due to be completed in spring 2009.

Wind Power

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many wind turbines generating  (a) under 100kW,  (b) between 100kW and 1MW and  (c) over 1MW there are in England and Wales.

Malcolm Wicks: In terms of wind turbines under 100kW ('microgeneration'), we assessed in our Element Energy research that there were 1,100 micro-wind turbines installed in the UK at the end of 2007. These were mostly in the range 1.5 to 4kW. However, we do not have these data broken down by nation. The research document can be downloaded at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/sustainable/microgeneration/research/page38208.html
	The following table shows the number of wind turbines generating in England and Wales at May 2008:
	
		
			   Onshore  Offshore 
			  Country  100kW to 1MW  Over 1MW  100kW to 1MW  Over 1MW 
			 England 310 107 0 122 
			 Wales 395 68 0 30 
			 Total 705 175 0 152 
			  Source: AEA Technology.

Working Hours

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department's Work-Life Balance Study cost.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The latest work-life balance study comprised the 3rd Work-Life Balance Employee Survey in 2006 and the 3rd Work-Life Balance Employer Survey in 2007. The total cost was 316,245 (excluding VAT). The employee survey was 144,820 (excluding VAT) and the cost of the employer survey was 171,425 (excluding VAT).

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Audit Commission Act 1998

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance  (a) the Audit Commission and  (b) her Department has produced on steps local authorities should take to publicise the rights of members of the public to financial information under the Audit Commission Act 1998 and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003.

Parmjit Dhanda: Neither Communities and Local Government nor the Audit Commission advise local authorities on how to meet their statutory obligations under the Audit Commission Act 1998 and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003.
	The Audit Commission publishes a leaflet Councils' Accounts Your Rights: England on its website. This leaflet is aimed at members of the public and summarises their rights to inspect, question and challenge councils' accounts.
	Additionally, individuals have access to information about public authorities through powers under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Audit Commission Act 1998

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance  (a) her Department and  (b) the Audit Commission has provided on whether members of the public have rights to access the records of safety camera partnerships under the terms of the Audit Commission Act 1998 and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003.

Parmjit Dhanda: Neither Communities and Local Government nor the Audit Commission provide guidance specifically on this issue.
	The public's right of inspection under section 15 of the Audit Commission Act 1998 relates to the accounts to be audited and all books, deeds, contracts, vouchers and receipts relating to them, which are placed on deposit during the annual four week inspection period. Where the partnership is accounted for through the authority it is therefore covered on the same basis as any other activity of the authority.

Business: Community Relations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to encourage businesses to share their facilities with local communities.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 21 July 2008
	Government encourage businesses to build corporate responsibility into their operations and to take account of their economic, social and environmental impacts, including on local communities. Government also encourages businesses to be engaged in local strategic partnerships and priority setting through local area agreements, recognising that business involvement will often play a critical part in delivering better services and outcomes for local communities.
	Within this context, it is for individual businesses to consider whether it would be appropriate to share their facilities with local communities.

Carbon Emissions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) of 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1347W, on carbon emissions, what the differences are between HM Treasury's definition of zero carbon for stamp duty relief and that in the Level 6 Code for Sustainable Homes.

Iain Wright: There are no differences between the definition of zero carbon used by HM Treasury for the purposes of stamp duty relief and that used for the Code for Sustainable Homes. The Government have committed to keeping the definition under review and this will be the subject of a forthcoming consultation exercise.

Carers: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people resident in Stroud constituency are proscribed from working in the care and children's sector under  (a) the Protection of Vulnerable Adults list and  (b) the Protection of Children Act 1999 lists.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply
	The identification of the number of individuals registered on the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoVA) and the Protection of Children Act (PoCA) lists who have home addresses in Stroud would require each of the case records to be checked. This could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost and would only provide historical information correct at the time at which the individuals concerned were registered.
	Once an individual is on either list, a standard or enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure will reveal the barred status of that individual to a relevant employer together with details of any criminal convictions. Information on an individual's address at the time of listing is not necessary in order to check whether that person is barred.
	The part of this question which relates to the PoVA list is answered on behalf of the Department of Health who have responsibility for PoVA.

Communities in Control White Paper

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Communities in Control White PaperImpact Assessments, what  (a) methodology was used and  (b) assumptions were made in calculating the estimated cost of voting incentives.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Impact Assessments for the White Paper Communities in control: real people, real power, which was published on 9 July 2008, were prepared according to guidance issued by the Better Regulation Executive. An estimate of the costs of voting incentives was calculated on the assumption that 1,000 would be spent per authority, per election, with the incentive taking the form of a small reward, such as the opportunity to take part in a prize draw. The Ministry of Justice lead on voting incentives and are currently considering these proposals.

Construction: Materials

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the percentage of the construction products market represented by  (a) recycled and  (b) re-used materials, expressed in (i) cash terms and (ii) mass, in each year since 2004.

Iain Wright: The Department's Report Monitoring the Sustainability of Buildings, published in 2007 contained data about the value and mass of recycled and reusable materials used as of November 2004 only.
	This can be viewed on the Department's website via the link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/381414.pdf
	Figures for later years are not currently available, but further data are currently being compiled for the next report on this subject which will be published in 2009.

Departmental Responsibilities

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which projects her Department has commissioned from  (a) think tanks and  (b) charities in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what the aim of each project was; which think tank or charity was commissioned; and how much was paid.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government commissions work from a range of organisations to support the development of evidenced based policy. We do not currently hold centrally a list of contractors for all projects commissioned in the Department and to compile one could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what purchasing process is used by her Department for the procurement of alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Parmjit Dhanda: As with the majority of commodities procured by the Department, the purchasing process encompasses the generating of a purchase order on the departmental finance system and the subsequent paying against an associated and agreed invoice.
	For more lower value commodities, the Department promotes the use of the Government Procurement Card (GPC) as an efficient and cost effective purchasing device.
	Within the Department, the staff handbook gives guidance to staff on when it might be appropriate to offer hospitality and the financial limits that apply. The purchase of alcohol for hospitality reasons is expected to be rare and limited to small amounts.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisations have received  (a) free and  (b) discounted room hire from (i) her Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the commercial value of the discount was in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: Communities and Local Government does not hire out its conference facilities, and only allows use of them by its own staff, or the departments/non departmental public bodies with whom it shares its buildings. It does not charge for the use of rooms, but does charge for refreshments.
	For the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and the Fire Service College this information is not available. As a trading funds who hire conference space to all sectors, any such arrangements would be commercially confidential.

Departmental Internet

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what budget her Department has allocated to the Read My Day/BloginaBox platform for each of the next three financial years; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department has agreed to provide funding of 10,590 to provide the required resources for the ReadmyDay/BloginaBox platform to operate until October 2011.
	The Department will be communicating with all users on the platform to inform them of the decision and to encourage the establishment of a user group to seek how the platform can be made sustainable beyond this date. It is hoped that this seed funding will provide the opportunity for users to take control of this important asset and secure its future for them and other civic leaders.

Departmental Internet

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many visits have been made to the International Centre of Excellence for Local e-Democracy website since its launch; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Since the launch of the ICELE website in October 2006 there have been over 750,000 visits. In the last six full months to 30 June 2008, approximately 300,000 visits have been recorded.

Departmental Internet

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans her Department has to maintain and promote the resources and toolkits developed by the International Centre for Excellence for Local e-Democracy; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: A review is currently being conducted by the Department and the International Centre of Excellence for Local eDemocracy to establish the current content and web traffic to the site. We are keen to retain the resources and toolkits developed by the International Centre of Excellence for Local eDemocracy and the previous Local e-Democracy National Project incorporated into it.
	The Department is exploring the options currently available including the use existing web resources to promote the empowerment agenda.

Departmental Internet

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many community groups have created websites using the Voice platform sponsored by her Department since the platform was launched; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: There are currently 3,362 community groups who have created websites and are registered on the VOICE site or using its open source derivatives.

Departmental Internet

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding her Department has given to the International Centre for Excellence for Local e-Democracy to support the Voice platform; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Voice platform has been constructed from an amalgam of different national projects and partnerships within the Local e-Government Programme which ran from 2002 to 2006.
	Funding directly attributable to the product was for 3,500,000 for the Environment and Community Online Residents e-Services (ENCORE) National Project, 350,000 for the Local Directgov Neighbourhoods and Parish Councils Project and 234,000 allocated to International Centre of Excellence for Local eDemocracy for further development and coding issues.

Departmental Internet

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what budget allocation her Department has made for the maintenance of the Voice platform for each of the next two financial years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Voice platform is fully funded up to April 2009 using existing resources allocated to the International centre of Excellence for Local eDemocracy (ICELE) and thus fulfilling current subscriptions to the service.
	The Voice platform is almost self-sufficient via local authority and voluntary organisation subscriptions. Negotiations are being undertaken as part of a review with existing local authority users to determine whether it is viable to transfer the responsibility for maintaining hosting and license fees to a current user as a new host authority to enable taking this product forward. A small additional amount of seed funding will be offered to enable e-voice as a service to be transferred to the new host body and the services to continue.

Departmental Internet

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many blogs by councillors and local government officers are registered on the ReadMyDay/Blog-in-a-Box platform sponsored by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: There are currently 166 councillors and 50 local government officers registered on the ReadmyDay/BloginaBox platform from a total of 93 local authorities.

Departmental Overtime

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many hours of overtime were worked by staff in each pay grade in her Department in each of the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following table shows how many hours overtime was claimed by staff in each pay grade in the Communities and Local Government Headquarters in each of the last 12 months. Data from our Agencies and NDPBs are not held centrally.
	
		
			  Hours 
			   2007  2008 
			  Grade  July  August  September  October  November  December  January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 PBEM2 3
			 1 8
			 2 374 295 112 155 387 360 235 134 347 497 224 356 
			 3 909 632 349 399 686 875 661 643 649 749 545 448 
			 4 1,274 1,763 589 823 1,623 861 1,375 630 978 1,332 736 1,213 
			 5 440 455 372 349 415 267 345 419 466 596 443 486 
			 6 433 314 222 179 550 291 350 279 551 352 222 550 
			 7 121 97   14 91  8 28 26 4 44 
			 Total 3,559 3,554 1,644 1,905 3,675 2,747 2,967 2,112 3,021 3,551 2,174 3,097 
		
	
	Please note that the amount of overtime hours claimed and paid in each of the 12 months may not necessarily reflect the work actually carried out in the specified month. This is because employees often submit claims for overtime payment in either the month following the work or later.

Departmental Overtime

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of overtime payments paid to staff in her Department was in each of the last 12 months, broken down by pay grade.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following table shows the cost of overtime payments paid to staff in each pay grade in the Communities and Local Government Headquarters in each of the last 12 months. Data for our Agencies and NDPBs are not held centrally.
	
		
			   
			   2007  2008 
			   July  August  September  October  November  December  January  February  March  April  May  June 
			 PBEM2 68
			 1 129
			 2 6,887 5,426 2,119 3,062 7,379 7,001 4,576 5,114 6,674 10,318 4,373 7,502 
			 3 18,906 13,023 7,739 8,598 14,748 18,698 14,709 14,301 14,016 16,724 11,695 10,014 
			 4 23,211 32,493 11,832 15,707 32,553 16,650 24,777 25,305 17,384 25,798 13,295 22,530 
			 5 10,299 10,361 9,098 8,330 10,656 6,019 8,727 11,735 11,624 15,687 12,767 12,899 
			 6 7,421 5,117 3,894 3,418 9,903 4,685 5,961 8,836 9,624 6,313 4,201 9,679 
			 7 2,667 1,992   265 2,058  149 519 439 128 1,223 
			 Total 69,519 68,411 34,682 39,115 75,504 55,111 58,750 65,439 59,910 75,280 46,459 63,846 
		
	
	Please note that the amount of overtime paid in each of the 12 months may not necessarily reflect the work actually carried out in the specified month. This is because employees often submit claims for overtime payments either the month following the work or later.

Departmental Paper

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of paper used  (a) for photocopying and  (b) in printed publications by her Department and is predecessors was from recycled sources in each of the last two years.

Parmjit Dhanda: For the Department's policy on the use of recycled paper, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 16 April 2007,  Official Report, column 263W.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) listening exercises and  (b) public forums her Department has held in each of the last two years; what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost was in each case and who the private contractor was and how much it was paid in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: There is no centrally held record held by this Department for either listening exercises or public forums, and it is therefore not possible to provide an authoritative list without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) reviews and  (b) public consultations have been initiated by her Department since 27 June 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: Since 27 July 2007 my Department has reviewed 20 specific pieces of regulations, covering Building Regulations, fire, housing, local government and planning and initiated 62 consultations.

Departmental Recruitment

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what job titles are used in her Department for full-time posts.

Parmjit Dhanda: Information on job titles is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of staff in  (a) her Department and  (b) the executive agencies for which she is responsible are disabled; and what the average salary in her (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies is of (A) full-time disabled staff, (B) full-time non-disabled staff, (C) part-time disabled staff and (D) part-time non-disabled staff.

Parmjit Dhanda: The average salaries of disabled staff, non-disabled staff and staff for which their disability status is unknown, is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Average salaries (full-time equivalent) ()  Staff numbers (headcount) 
			 Disabledfull-time 35,306 88 
			 Disabledpart-time 38,994 11 
			 Non disabledfull-time 38,448 1,289 
			 Non disabledpart-time 38,666 140 
			 Unknown/do not want to disclosefull-time 35,429 411 
			 Unknown/do not want to disclosepart-time 37,791 44 
		
	
	Details of the average salaries of disabled and non-disabled staff in the Department's agencies are not held centrally.

Double Glazing

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what percentage of households installed double glazing in each year since 2004; and what proportion of these were initial installations.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested by the hon. Member is not available in the form requested but DEFRA has data on houses with existing double glazing for England in 2004 and 2005 from BRE's Energy Use in Homes reports. The figures are as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 House fully double glazed 57 58 n/a n/a 
			 Houses with at least one double glazed window 85 87 n/a n/a 
			 Houses with less than half of windows double glazed 24 23 n/a n/a 
			 n/a = Data not yet available

Eco-Towns

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter to her Department from  (a) the Curborough Consortium and  (b) Gallagher Estates outlining their respective reasons for withdrawing from the eco-towns bidding process;
	(2)  which  (a) developers,  (b) bidders and  (c) local authorities have withdrawn from the eco-town process subsequent to their bids being short-listed by her Department; and for what reasons in each case.

Caroline Flint: Three promoters have withdrawn their proposals for an eco-town since being shortlisted for further appraisal and consultation by Government:
	Manby (East Lindsey district council)
	Curborough (The Curborough Consortium)
	NewMarston (Gallagher Estates).
	Reasons given for withdrawal by each promoter are given in brief as follows. Copies of press releases (Manby and Curborough) and a letter (New Marston) providing more information on the reasons for withdrawal will be forwarded to the hon. Gentleman.
	 Manby
	ELDC has decided instead to develop its work in alternative ways with local partners to address the key issues of affordable housing, skills, investment and coastal flood defences.
	 Curborough
	The Curborough Consortium has decided to focus its attention on their existing planning application for a new settlement, taking account of the feedback of the eco-town challenge panel.
	 New Marston
	Gallagher Estates have decided to focus on the delivery of already planned developments in the area.

Eco-towns: Curborough

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received regarding her Department's advertisement regarding the proposed eco-town at Curborough, near Lichfield; what response she has made to such representations; and if she will place in the Library a copy of each representation received and response made.

Caroline Flint: We used advertorials to encourage people to respond and take part in the consultation process for eco-towns, and they provided details of where to obtain more information. The first stage of the eco-towns consultation closed on 30 June and in due course we will provide a statement on the responses received, including those for Curborough.

Eco-towns: Religion

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration was given to the inclusion of references to faith centres during the drafting process for the recent consultation paper on eco-towns.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 7 July 2008
	As we set out in the consultation document each eco-town location will need its own approach and the consultation document only provides an indication of some of the benefits that eco-towns will provide. Also, as referred to in the consultation document, the Town and Country Planning Association have produced a best practice worksheet on community development, which is available to all those taking eco-towns forward, and provides advice about working with communities, including faith communities. We will be encouraging schemes to put this guidance into practice as individual projects are taken forward, including for example the funding and endowment of community assets which may be available to faith groups, as part of the development gain.
	As part of the second stage of consultation we will be consulting on community issues among other criteria in the draft planning policy statement on eco-towns, and we will also be engaging more closely with faith communities to ensure that their views are taken into account in how the programmes goes forward.
	In planning for eco-towns local authorities will also need to take account of 'PPS1: Delivering Sustainable Development' which requires that they take into account the needs of all the community, including particular requirements relating to age, sex, ethnic background, religion, disability or income.

Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to increase the use of empty dwelling management orders.

Iain Wright: The Housing Act 2004 introduced voluntary powers for councils to apply to make an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO). The decision to pursue an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) is therefore at the discretion of the individual council where the property is based and we have no plans to amend this aspect of the legislation.
	We are confident that the legislation giving local authorities the power to pursue an EDMO is beginning to work well. We always intended that it should be used only as a last resort where other measures have proved unsuccessful. Our policy is to encourage voluntary re-occupation of empty homes but this can only work well where there is realistic compulsion to back them up. EDMOs provide this compulsion and should therefore be a key component of a council's comprehensive empty property strategy.
	Since the legislation was introduced, the number of properties empty for longer than six months has fallen by 4 per cent. from 282,461 to 271,252.

Fire Services: Emergency Calls

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the  (a) number of calls to primary fires,  (b) response times to primary fires,  (c) number of calls to road traffic accidents,  (d) response times to road traffic accidents and  (e) percentage of targets met with respect to primary fires and road traffic accidents for each fire service in England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: The most recent estimates for number of calls to primary fires, response times to primary fires, number of calls to road traffic collisions are as follows:
	
		
			  Primary fires and road traffic collisions attended by fire and rescue services 
			   Primary fires, 2007 Q2  
			   Number of fires  Average response time (minutes)  Number of road traffic collisions, 2006-07 
			  Non metropolitan authorities
			 Avon 767 7.8 761 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 346 7.4 439 
			 Buckinghamshire 375 7.9 605 
			 Cambridgeshire 477 9.7 762 
			 Cheshire 562 7.6 721 
			 Cleveland 372 5.4 468 
			 Cornwall 184 9.8 519 
			 County Durham and Darlington 438 8.1 451 
			 Cumbria 310 8.5 360 
			 Derbyshire 489 8.4 787 
			 Devon 625 8.0 1,126 
			 Dorset 289 8.5 588 
			 East Sussex 425 7.0 731 
			 Essex 615 7.5 1,617 
			 Gloucestershire 385 9.2 544 
			 Hampshire 725 7.2 1,370 
			 Hereford and Worcester 289 9.3 747 
			 Hertfordshire 431 6.9 556 
			 Humberside 729 6.8 694 
			 Isle of Wight 78 8.3 100 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0.0 n/a 
			 Kent 781 7.1 1,268 
			 Lancashire 951 7.0 816 
			 Leicestershire 417 7.0 961 
			 Lincolnshire 374 10.0 725 
			 Norfolk 439 8.8 1,671 
			 North Yorkshire 367 8.7 705 
			 Northamptonshire 410 7.6 647 
			 Northumberland 206 7.7 260 
			 Nottinghamshire 756 6.6 753 
			 Oxfordshire 309 9.6 458 
			 Royal Berkshire 394 8.1 660 
			 Shropshire 241 8.1 336 
			 Somerset 261 9.9 499 
			 Staffordshire 553 8.4 970 
			 Suffolk 322 10.1 539 
			 Surrey 461 8.9 997 
			 Warwickshire 285 8.0 613 
			 West Sussex 366 8.7 912 
			 Wiltshire 297 9.5 690 
			 
			  Metropolitan authorities
			 London 3,457 5.7 5,318 
			 Greater Manchester 2,361 7.0 1,092 
			 Merseyside 1,214 5.9 902 
			 South Yorkshire 1,037 7.3 1,152 
			 Tyne and Wear 1,023 5.4 488 
			 West Midlands 1,529 6.1 2,220 
			 West Yorkshire 1,454 6.9 1,109 
			  Source: returns to Communities and Local Government 
		
	
	Response times to reach road traffic collisions are not held centrally.
	Targets with respect to primary fires and road traffic collisions are a matter for each Fire and Rescue Authority and are not held centrally.

Government Departments: Public Participation

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on the cross-government access plan on public engagement; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The proposal to develop a cross-government approach to community empowerment became the White Paper 'Communities in control: real people, real power;', which was published on 9 July 2008.

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate has been made of the level of mis-selling of no sale, no fee deferred-payment home information packs.

Caroline Flint: No such estimate has been made. The terms on which Home Information Packs (HIPs) are provided to consumers are a matter for the market and the Government have no role in this. HIP providers who subscribe to the HIP Code undertake to ensure that all literature, terms, conditions and advertisements are clear, fair, reasonable and accurate and are not misleading.

Homelessness: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were (a) registered as homeless and  (b) on Castle Point Borough Council's housing list in Castle Point in each of the last 10 years.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Jarrow (Mr. Hepburn) on 20 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 1238-40W.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 782W.

Homes and Communities Agency

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role the Homes and Communities Agency will have in  (a) promoting the lifetime homes standard and  (b) delivering accessible housing standards.

Caroline Flint: As stated in the National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society, Lifetime Homes Standards will be a mandatory element in the code for Sustainable Homes at level 6 from 2008, at level 4 from 2010 and level 3 from 2013. This will have the effect of ensuring that all public sector funded housing is built to Lifetime Homes Standards from 2011.
	We have recently amended the Housing and Regeneration Bill, to make it explicit that the object of the Homes and Communities Agency related to contributing to the achievement of good design specifically includes reference to design which has due regard to the needs of both elderly and disabled persons.
	We will expect the HCA to promote well designed quality homes and places by using industry benchmarks in conjunction with recognised public sector standards. The standards adopted will include social, economic, environmental and physical measures of design and performance, building on the work of English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation. They will apply equally to the private and public sector activity in which the HCA engages, covering regeneration and housing, existing places and new places. We will also expect the HCA to consult widely about their proposed approach to quality before adopting specific measures.

Housing: Dorset

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes are planned to be built in  (a) Bournemouth and  (b) Dorset; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Panel Report into the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West recommended an overall net increase in dwellings for Bournemouth of 16,100 for the period 2006-26 and 48,100 for Dorset. This was the recommendation of the panel based on evidence submitted to and discussed at the Examination in Public held between 17 April and 6 July 2007. The Secretary of State, in her proposed changes to the RSS published today, agreed with these figures. The proposed changes are now subject to a 12-week consultation period.

Housing: Key Workers

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of key worker homes built under the Key Worker Living programme are  (a) empty and  (b) have not yet been sold or let, broken down by Government office region.

Iain Wright: Since 2001 we have helped over 28,000 key workers purchase their own home.
	From the 2006-08 National Affordable Housing programme, 470 properties are being exclusively marketed to key workers, of which 461 have been on the market for less than six months and nine have been marketed exclusively to key workers for more than six months. These properties are only located in three regions:
	London: 427 of which 0 have been marketed for more than six months
	South East: 42 of which eight have been marketed for more than six months
	East: one which has been marketed for more than six months
	Since November 2005, we have put in place a 'cascade' system. The cascade system allows any new build property that has been marketed exclusively to key workers for a significant period of time (usually more than six months) to be offered to other eligible first time buyers.
	We no longer fund homes built to be exclusively marketed for key workers.

Housing: Low Incomes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many completed Social Homebuy sales there have been to date.

Caroline Flint: Social homebuy is a voluntary demand-led scheme, launched in April 2006. The scheme enables tenants of participating local authorities and housing associations to buy a minimum 25 per cent. share in their rented home at discount. There were 235 sales from April 2006 to end June 2008.

Housing: Low Incomes

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the relationship between residence in social housing and worklessness in the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: In February, I called for a wide ranging debate about how best to tackle the challenge of worklessness in social housing, examining the full range of options.
	This debate is now under way and is being informed by the range of available evidence, which includes: the Hills Review of social housing; Housing Corporation research on Housing associations tackling worklessness; longitudinal analysis on the relationship between housing and life chances, by Leon Feinstein, Ruth Lupton and colleagues from the Institute of Education, for the Smith Institute and Housing Corporation; Department for Work and Pensions Research Report Social housing and worklessness: Key policy messages; CORE data on new social lettings; Labour Force Survey data; Family Resources Survey data; and Survey of English Housing data.

Housing: Parking

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department issues on the provision of parking spaces as part of the new-build developments; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Government's overall planning policy on parking is set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 13: Transport (PPG 13).
	National planning policy for housing in Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing (PPS3) gives local planning authorities the ability to set their own residential parking policies, taking account of expected levels of car ownership, the importance of promoting good design and the need to use land efficiently.
	Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres (PPS6) sets out policies on town centre development. It advises that new development should be located preferably in town centres or other locations offering good access by transport other than the private car and developers are expected to demonstrate flexibility in parking provision. Supporting Guidance on Design and Implementation Tools sets out the design considerations.
	Draft Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Sustainable Economic Development (PPS4) proposes the setting of maximum parking standards for non-residential development by local planning authorities to take account of local circumstances, particularly the needs of hospitals.
	Manual for Streets, which complements PPS3, provides guidance on the design and provision of parking for residential streets. Further guidance is set out in By Design: Better Places to Live, Safer Places: The Planning System and Crime Prevention and By Design. Good practice guidance on parking for the elderly and disabled, including blue badge schemes, is given in Planning and Access for Disabled People.
	Guidance on Transport Assessments, published jointly with the Department for Transport, is also relevant. This provides advice to applicants on mitigating the transport impacts of developments and on the role of parking provision in such considerations.

Land Use: Databases

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requirements local authorities will have to provide information to her Department for inclusion on the new green space database.

Iain Wright: There is no requirement for local authorities to provide information for inclusion on the green space database. This is in line with the commitment the Government made in the 2006 Local Government White Paper, Strong and Prosperous Communities, and the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, to reduce the number of performance indicators against which local authorities must report to central Government under 200.
	The green space database will make widely available information held by the Department on green space. We hope that stakeholders with an interest in green space, including but not limited to local authorities, will benefit from this and be encouraged to share information voluntarily.

Local Authorities: Housing

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) registered homeless people and  (b) people in receipt of housing benefit have been housed in the private rented sector in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level.
	Information collected includes the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	The first table shows the total number of households housed in temporary accommodation under homelessness provisions, in the private sector, as at the end of the last five years. This includes those households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty, plus those for whom a decision, appeal or possible referral is pending, and those found to be intentionally homeless but who are being housed for a reasonable period by the authority.
	
		
			  Number of households in temporary accommodation in the private sector, at the end of each of year, 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 England 51,930 57,390 59,870 57,140 52,480 
			  Source: CLG PIE Homelessness returns (quarterly) 
		
	
	The second table shows the number of households who had been owed a main homelessness duty, but for whom the homelessness duty was ended during the year by accepting a qualifying offer of an assured shorthold tenancy in the private sector. It comprises both those households who went immediately into settled private sector accommodation following acceptance of being owed a main homelessness duty, and those who had spent a period of time in temporary circumstances first.
	
		
			  Number of households for whom the main homelessness duty was ended during the year following acceptance of a qualifying offer of an assured shorthold tenancy, 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 England 4,550 3,000 2,950 3,160 3,050 
			  Source: CLG PIE Homelessness returns (quarterly) 
		
	
	The third table shows the total number of recipients of housing benefit in the private rented sector in England (including, but not limited to those households owed a main homelessness duty), in each of the last five years for which data are available.
	
		
			  Number of housing benefit recipients living in the private rented sector in last five years for which data are available, 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 England 619,000 630,000 681,000 718,000 769,000 
			  Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person, couple or family. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand. 3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. Annual caseloads are the average of four quarterly figures.  Source: DWP Quarterly National Statistics

Local Government

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which provisions in the 2007 Local Government White Paper Implementation Plan have not been implemented or commenced to the timetable outlined in the plan.

Parmjit Dhanda: Strong and Prosperous CommunitiesThe Local Government White Paper was published in October 2006. The White Paper set out the Government's commitment to reform of local public services and builds on earlier progress in improving the quality of local services to turn reform into lasting transformation.
	The White Paper includes a large number of commitments. The vast majority of actions are proceeding to plan. These include the successful negotiations of all 150 Local Area Agreements (LAAs) which were signed-off on 30 June 2008, the agreement on 14 July 2008 of the first seven Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs), and the implementation of nine new unitary councils, which Parliament has approved, which is on track for 1 April 2009.
	There are three areas which have taken longer to implement than the estimated timetable set out in the November 2007 Implementation Plan. These are:
	the Councillor Call for Action and new overview and scrutiny powers. We are working with key stakeholders to implement in a coherent fashion changes to overview and scrutiny arrangements flowing both from the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and the Police and Justice Act 2006including the Councillor Call for Action, for which we are currently analysing the response to a consultation exercise which closed in March. We will work with the Local Government Association to issue guidance on this later this year. We will consult shortly on implementation of the overview and scrutiny powers.
	extending the power to promote well-being to eligible parish councils. We are consulting stakeholders on secondary legislation and related guidance, with commencement scheduled before the end of this year.
	we will also give local authorities the power to deal with local problems both by making certain byelaws without confirmation from the Secretary of State and by enforcing them with fixed penalty notices. A consultation exercise will be launched shortly and the intention is for these provisions to be in place by the end of 2008.
	A further version of the White Paper Implementation Plan will be published shortly.

Local Government: Marketing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for reviewing the guidance to local authorities on publicity.

Parmjit Dhanda: As stated in the Department's White Paper, Communities in control: real people, real power, we will consult on potential changes to the Publicity Code and associated guidance in the autumn.

Local Government: Public Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the introduction of the duty on best value authorities to involve local people.

Parmjit Dhanda: The timetable is unaltered. The duty on best value authorities to involve local people comes into effect on 1 April 2009.

Local Government: Public Participation

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to encourage local authorities to exercise powers providing for public participation in council meetings; and what recent discussions she has had with  (a) local authorities and  (b) others on the issue.

Parmjit Dhanda: The recently issued White Paper Communities in Control: Real people, real power announced our intention to establish a new duty to promote democracy which will require local authorities to inform and encourage local people to participate in democratic activities.
	This duty was proposed by the Councillors Commission which engaged widely with local government and other stakeholders in developing the report it published in December 2007, and the White Paper took into account responses to the Commission's report.

Natural Gas: Pipelines

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions  (a) her Department and  (b) the Thames Gateway Development Corporation have had with Calor Gas on pipe line developments in Essex in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Department has had no conversations with Calor Gas Ltd on pipe line developments in Essex in the last 12 months.
	The Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation in its capacity as planning authority for Thurrock determined in May 2007 a planning application made by Calor Gas Ltd to construct an underground pipe line between Canvey Island and Stanford-le-Hope and for an above ground installation at the Stanford-le-Hope terminal. The decision by the TTGDC planning committee only covers the section of the pipe line in Thurrock. The planning permission was subject to a s.106 agreement, which has now been signed enabling the decision notice to be issued in June 2008.

Places of Change Programme

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether any schemes subject to awards under the Places of Change programme have been taken to judicial review by local opponents.

Iain Wright: We are aware that a judicial review claim is being brought against Northampton borough council in respect of the proposal to redevelop the Robinson House hostel into accommodation for rough sleepers.
	Northampton borough council have been allocated 1.42 million from the Places of Change Programme towards the reprovision of its services for rough sleepers in Robinson House. They are currently conducting an options appraisal of sites in Northampton, including Robinson House, in order to take this project forward.
	Schemes are taken forward by local authorities and are subject to the planning process. We are not aware of any other judicial review claim being made in relation to the Places of Change Programme since it commenced in April 2008.

Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes the proposed new Planning Policy Statement 6 makes to whether local planning authorities can take into account the identity of an occupier as a material consideration when assessing a planning application for a new retail development or change of use.

Iain Wright: The proposed changes to Planning Policy Statement 6 (PPS6) introduce no changes to the extent to which local planning authorities can take into account the identity of an occupier when assessing a planning application for retail development or a change of use.

Regional Planning and Development: Eco-towns

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2008,  Official Report, column 47W, on regional planning and development: eco-towns, whether the partial reviews will consider the merits of Green Belt reviews to meet the revised building targets.

Caroline Flint: The RSS should provide a broad development strategy for the region for a 15 to 20 year period. In considering whether reviews of the RSS are needed, regional planning bodies should, alongside other matters, keep the need to consider a review of the extent of Green Belt in their regions under consideration.

Regional Planning and Development: Eco-towns

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 May 2008,  Official Report, column 47W, on regional planning and development: eco-towns, whether the partial reviews will be conducted by the regional development agencies.

Caroline Flint: All reviews of regional spatial strategies, where they are carried out, will be undertaken by the regional planning body (RPB). Regional development agencies are not the RPB under the terms of existing legislation.

Rents: Rotherham

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much rent has been paid by local authority tenants in Rotherham in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: CLG does not have information on the amount of rent actually paid by tenants in local authorities. It compiles information on the rental income received by an authority towards its housing revenue account which includes rent rebates for housing benefit. On average 60 per cent. of local authority tenants are on housing benefit.
	
		
			  Rent income to the housing revenue account  Rotherham 
			
			 1997-98 40,148,086 
			 1998-99 40,590,024 
			 1999-2000 40,824,583 
			 2001-02 44,566,301 
			 2002-03 49,821,490 
			 2003-04 47,656,886 
			 2004-05 49,794,741 
			 2005-06 51,379,118 
			 2006-07 50,656,093 
		
	
	These figures are based on unaudited information provided by Rotherham council.

Social Rented Housing: Waiting Lists

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were on social housing waiting lists in  (a) Leeds West constituency and  (b) Leeds Metropolitan District in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on 21 July,  Official Report, column 782W.
	Information on local authority waiting lists is collected in respect of households rather than individuals. Where local authorities and registered social landlords operate a common register, households registered with the registered social landlord will be included in the data. However, registered social landlords are independent bodies and can keep their own waiting lists.

Thames Gateway Bridge

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for re-opening the public inquiry on the Thames Gateway Bridge; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Planning Inspectorate will be making arrangements to re-open the inquiry and it is currently envisaged that this will be in late spring 2009. The Inspectorate is waiting for the applicant, Transport for London, to advise formally when the evidence required by the Secretary of State will be ready to transmit to parties to the inquiry.

Thames Gateway: Annual Reports

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the annual report on the Thames Gateway before the House rises for the summer adjournment; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The Thames Gateway Annual Report 2007-08 was published on 15 July 2008. An electronic version of the report can be accessed at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/thamesgateway/annualreport

Thames Gateway: Annual Reports

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the reason was for the time taken in publishing the Thames Gateway annual report in 2008.

Caroline Flint: The Thames Gateway Annual Report 2007-08 was published on 15 July 2008 to coincide with the bimonthly meeting of the Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership.

Thermal Insulation

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what percentage of households with cavity walls acquired cavity insulation in each year since 2004.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Data shown in the following table for the percentage of homes with cavity wall insulation are taken from the GB-wide Domestic Energy Factfile for 2004 and the English House Condition Survey from 2005.
	DEFRA estimates that there are around 7.3 million households with fillable but unfilled cavities in 2008, plus around 800,000 households with cavities that are difficult or impossible to fill. This implies that around 54 per cent. of cavity homes in GB had cavity insulation at March 2008. It is anticipated that around 2.9 million additional cavities will be filled during the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target programme, which runs from 2008-11.
	
		
			   Estimated number of cavity insulations per year (GB)  Percentage of cavity homes with filled cavities 
			 2003-04 264,000  
			 2004-05 264,000 (1)37 
			 2005-06 445,000 (2)40 
			 2006-07 445,000  
			 2007-08 n/k  
			 2008-09 n/k (3)54 
			 n/k = Not known (1) GB. SourceDomestic Energy factfile (2) England only, BRE Thermal insulation update (3) GB. Estimate around this figure

Thermal Insulation

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what percentage of households with hot water tanks installed tank insulation in each year since 2004; and what proportion of these were first-time installations.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Tank insulation is one of the approved measures in the Energy Efficiency Commitment. The independent review commissioned by DEFRA on EEC1 (2002-05) estimated that around 195,000 tanks were insulated by this programme, which is an average of 65,000 per year.
	Ofgem is due to report on the second phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment (2005-08) on 1 August 2008. The headline report will probably not contain information on tank insulation, as this is not a major measure, however, DEFRA is commissioning a detailed study of EEC2 measures, to be completed by the end of the year.
	The Thermal Insulation Updates for 2004 and 2005 (which apply to England only) states that around 2 per cent. of tanks were uninsulated in 2003 and around 1.5 per cent. were uninsulated in 2005.
	Note also that the increasing market for combination boilers means that there are fewer hot water tanks to insulate.

Travelling People

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department has given to the Gypsy Reform Council in the last year.

Iain Wright: The Department for Communities and Local Government has given no funding to an organisation called the Gypsy Reform Council in this financial year (2008-09) or in financial year 2007-08.

Utilities: Voluntary Organisations

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on the effects of rising water and fuel bills on charitable organisations, with particular reference to places of worship.

Parmjit Dhanda: My right hon. Friend has had no such discussions.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Access to Work Programme

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of the Access to Work budget was spent on the provision of support workers in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 21 July 2008
	 The information is not available prior to 2007. In 2007 48 per cent. of Access to Work expenditure was on the provision of support workers.

Access to Work Programme

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with a learning disability were supported in work through Access to Work funding in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 21 July 2008
	 The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of people estimated as having a learning disability who have received Access to Work help 
			   Number 
			 2003-04 1,800 
			 2004-05 2,100 
			 2005-06 2,100 
			 2006-07 1,900 
			 2007-08 (provisional) 1,700 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. A new, more relevant definition of participation has been established for reporting from 2007-08 onwards. Data are not yet available to give a final figure for the year 2007-08. This figure is not directly comparable with figures for previous years. 3. These figures are based on the condition recorded on the Access to Work computer system. Only the primary condition of a participant is recorded, and as such these figures are likely to under-estimate the numbers of those with a learning disability. A high proportion of participants (20-30 per cent.) have their condition recorded as 'Other'.  Source: The Access to Work Evaluation Database.

Benefits

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of housing benefit recipients received backdated payments  (a) in total and  (b) for a period covering (i) up to three months, (ii) between three and six months and (iii) between six and 12 months in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of working age council tax benefit recipients received backdated payments  (a) in total and  (b) for a period covering (i) up to three months, (ii) between three and six months and (iii) between six and 12 months in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
	(3)  how many and what proportion of pensioner council tax benefit recipients received backdated payments  (a) in total and  (b) for a period covering (i) up to three months, (ii) between three and six months and (iii) between six and 12 months in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.
	Our ability to provide this breakdown is restricted by the breadth and reliability of the data available to us.
	As part of the Equality Impact Assessment, we have provided an estimate of the proportion of housing benefit and council tax benefit case loads affected by the proposals to reduce the backdating facilities to three months. There are, however, important caveats to these estimates which must be noted.
	A copy of the Equality Impact Assessment has been placed in the Library. It is also available on the Department for Work and Pensions website at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/resourcecentre/PC-HB-CTB-EIA-Apr08.pdf
	Figures on the number of successful backdating claims are derived from the Single Housing Benefit Extract (HBSD-IAD scan). The backdating variable in the Single Housing Benefit Extract was introduced relatively recently in April 2007 and accordingly we have no means of corroborating the data's robustness against historical data. Furthermore, given that the data only go back six months, we currently have an insufficient pool of evidence to derive reliable figures from the data. These concerns should be allayed with time as the scan data improve.
	Based on the first six months of data available, it is estimated that approximately 0.2 per cent. of new housing benefit and council tax benefit claims would be affected by a reduction in the backdating period to three months. These figures may be subject to revision as more data become available.

Benefits

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average sum received for backdated housing benefit was  (a) in total and  (b) per month for housing benefit recipients who received backdated payments for a period covering (i) up to three months, (ii) between three and six months and (iii) between six and 12 months in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what was the average sum received in backdated council tax benefits was  (a) in total and  (b) per month by pensioner council tax benefit recipients who received backdated payments for a period covering (i) up to three months, (ii) between three and six months and (iii) between six and 12 months in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.
	Our ability to provide this breakdown is restricted by the breadth and reliability of the data available to us. We will review the situation regularly as more data become available.

Benefits

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on backdated payments of housing benefit in each of the last five years  (a) in total and  (b) broken down by the smallest geographical area for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much was spent by his Department on backdated payments of council tax benefit in each of the last five years  (a) in total and  (b) broken down by the smallest geographical area for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 16 June 2008,  Official Report, column 734W.

Child Support Agency: Managers

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what categories of managers are working at the Child Support Agency;
	(2)  how many managers are employed at the Child Support Agency.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 8 July 2008
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 22 July 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	and
	How many managers are employed at the Child Support Agency.
	The Child Support Agency, in line with other government departments and agencies, uses the standard Civil Service grade structure. The Agency's managers are distributed across the six traditional Civil Service management grades: Executive Officer, Higher and Senior Executive Officer, Unified Grades 7 and 6 and the Senior Civil Service.
	These grades include both management and a variety of non-managerial, specialist roles. An analysis of the information that the Agency holds on the number of people within these grades with job titles suggesting managerial responsibility reveals that there are presently around 800 people employed either as 'managers', 'directors' or 'area heads', and a further 700 people employed as 'team leaders'. These figures do also include a number of specialist and professional roles which may not include people management.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Child Support Agency: Telephone Services

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what income his Department received from the Child Support Agency's 0845 number in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06.

James Plaskitt: Figures concerning income from the use of 0845 numbers are only available for the Department for Work and Pensions as a whole and cannot be allocated to individual agencies. The Department stopped receiving a rebate from its 0845 numbers on 14 December 2007. This did not affect the charge customers pay for contacting the Department.
	The Department received a rebate of 1,490,640.47 for the period covering 1 October 2005 to 14 December 2007 and this was used to pay for other telecommunication services. No information is available for any earlier period and no breakdown of this figure is available. The Department ceased this arrangement on 14 December 2007 and no longer receives any rebate. This change in arrangement does not affect the charge a customer pays for contacting the Department.

Children: Poverty

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on child poverty if fraud and error were eradicated from  (a) council tax benefit,  (b) the savings element of pension credits,  (c) housing benefit/local housing allowance and  (d) all benefit payments; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of child poverty of the eradication of fraud and error from  (a) income support and  (b) jobseekers allowance systems; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available.
	Benefits, including income-related benefits, play a key role in making work pay, supporting those who cannot work, reducing poverty, and have helped to lift 600,000 children out of relative poverty since 1998-99.
	The estimates of fraud and error across all benefits has reduced by a third since 2000-01 and for fraud are down by two thirds during the same period. We are keen to ensure that support goes to the right customers at the right time and are committed to reducing error and fraud across all benefits.

Children: Poverty

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on child poverty if caseload take-up rates amongst working age families for income support were increased to  (a) 100 per cent. and  (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on child poverty if the caseload take-up rates amongst working age families for all benefit entitlements were increased to  (a) 100 per cent. and  (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on child poverty if the caseload take-up rates amongst working age families for council tax benefit were increased to  (a) 100 per cent.,  (b) 90 per cent. and  (c) 80 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on child poverty if expenditure take-up rates amongst working age families for jobseekers allowance were increased to  (a) 100 per cent.,  (b) 90 per cent.,  (c) 80 per cent. and  (d) 70 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what estimate his Department has made of the effects on levels of child poverty if expenditure take-up rates amongst working age families for income support were increased to 100 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of child poverty of an increase in expenditure take-up rates for all benefits amongst working age families to  (a) 100 per cent. and  (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of child poverty of an increase in expenditure take-up rates for council tax benefit amongst working age families to  (a) 100 per cent.,  (b) 90 per cent. and  (c) 80 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of child poverty of an increase in caseload take-up rates for jobseekers allowance for working age families to  (a) 100 per cent.,  (b) 90 per cent.,  (c) 80 per cent. and  (d) 70 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(9)  what estimate his Department has made of the effects on levels of child poverty if  (a) caseload and  (b) expenditure take-up rates for housing benefit and local housing allowance amongst working age families were increased to (a) 100 per cent. and (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such there are many possible measures of poverty. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that low income is central to any poverty measurement. Definitions of low income households are set out in the annual National Statistics publication 'Households Below Average Income'. This reports numbers of individuals in households below or persistently below 50 per cent., 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. of median household income before and after deducting housing costs.
	If there were 100 per cent take-up of the main income-related benefits by everyone in the population entitled to claim them, it is estimated that the number of children below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income would fall by around 200,000 before housing costs are taken into account and 100,000 on an after housing costs basis, based on 2008-09 benefit rates. Corresponding estimates are not available for 90 per cent. take-up, nor for 100 per cent. take-up of individual benefits.
	We have made good progress on tackling child poverty. We continue to develop strategies to support parents into work and progress in work, because we know that work is the best route out of povertyproviding increased incomes and better opportunities for people and their families. Our specialised schemes will ensure the long-term unemployed get the individualised support they need.

Council Tax Benefit

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average sum received in backdated council tax benefits was  (a) in total and  (b) per month by working age council tax benefit recipients who received backdated payments for a period covering (i) up to three months, (ii) between three and six months and (iii) between six and 12 months in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.
	Our ability to provide this breakdown is restricted by the breadth and reliability of the data available to us.

Council Tax: Tax Collection

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many times deductions have been made from benefits for failure to pay council tax in each local authority area in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many claimants have had deductions made from their  (a) pension credit,  (b) jobseeker's allowance and  (c) income support for failing to pay their council tax in each local authority area in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many claimants have had deductions made to benefits for failure to pay their council tax bill  (a) once,  (b) twice,  (c) three times,  (d) four times and  (e) five times or more in each local authority area in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The available information on the number of claimants who have had deductions made from income support, jobseeker's allowance and pension credit in each local authority area in each of the last 10 years has been placed in the Library.
	Information is not available on how many claimants have had deductions made from their benefits for council tax broken down by the number of occasions.

Departmental Pay

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of staff in his Department and its agencies did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them in the last two years.

Anne McGuire: The information is in the following tables.
	 1. Below SCS
	The Department for Work and Pensions currently operates two separate bonus schemes, which may be paid on top of regular salary. These are the individual performance bonus scheme and the special bonus scheme.
	Individual performance bonusall staff have the potential to earn an individual performance bonus, based on the performance level they receive through the performance management system. Individual performance is relatively assessed at the end of the performance year against the objectives set and competencies required. There are four performance levels. In 2006 and 2007 people who achieved one of the top three levels received a bonus, determined by their grade and performance level.
	
		
			  Percentage of employees who received a performance bonus 
			  Performance year  Percentage receiving maximum bonus  Percentage not receiving maximum bonus 
			 2005-06 19.8 80.2 
			 2006-07 18.2 81.8 
		
	
	Special bonusthe special bonus scheme enables line managers to award a one-off bonus to recognise and reward exceptional personal or team achievement. Detailed criteria are determined by local managers. Awards may be cash or vouchers but the amounts that can be awarded are modest because the total expenditure over the year is limited to 0.25 per cent. of the manager's staffing budget. As there is no maximum amount set, these have not been included in the aforementioned table.
	 2. SCS
	
		
			  Performance year  Percentage receiving maximum bonus  Percentage not receiving maximum bonus 
			 2005-06 8.45 91.55 
			 2006-07 1.78 98.22 
		
	
	All bonuses are non-consolidated and so they are not added into salary and are not-pensionable.

Departmental Pilot Schemes

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what criteria are used to decide which region is selected for a pilot scheme by his Department;
	(2)  what his Department's total budget was for running pilot schemes in each of the last five years; and how much was spent  (a) in Wales and  (b) on testing service provision through the medium of Welsh;
	(3)  how many pilot schemes were run by his Department in each of the last five years, broken down by region.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 7 July 2008
	The Department runs pilots to test the effectiveness of different approaches to service provision in achieving results and in improving the customer experience. The decision on where these pilots are operated is based on a number of different criteria. These can include the type and location of the service being tested, the customer group involved, and the location of other pilots already under way. The decision on the location of a pilot also takes account of the need to ensure the customer base is sufficiently large to make the results of the pilot meaningful. Any pilot testing a service in Wales includes testing service provision in the Welsh language. Pilots that have been run in Wales include Pathways to Work in Bridgend, Rhondda, Cynon and Taff; Swansea Bay, West Wales; and Eastern Valleys; and new deal plus for lone parents in Cardiff.
	Data over the last five years on the number of pilot schemes, the regions involved, and costs could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Disabled: Respite Care

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the funding for the provision of short break services announced in the Aiming High for Disabled Children document, will be spent in each year over the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	In line with the commitments in Aiming High for Disabled Children, the Government intend to issue local authorities with revenue funding of 15.6 million in 2008-09, 75.8 million in 2009-10, and 177.6 million in 2010-11 for the transformation of short break provision. 11 million will be spent over the CSR period on programme support and evaluation.
	In addition to this funding, the Government will also provide local authorities with short break capital funding of 4.5 million in 2008-09, 33 million in 2009-10 and 52.5 million in 2010-11. This additional 90 million was announced in the Children's Plan in December 2007,
	Funding allocations to local authorities can be viewed at:
	www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/ahdc

Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) UK nationals, ( b) non-UK EU nationals and  (c) non-EU nationals were in (i) full-time employment and (ii) part-time employment in the UK in each year since 1995; and what the percentage rate of change was for UK nationals in each type of employment as a proportion of the UK working age population in each of those years.

Stephen Timms: I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member which was as a result of an administrative error in relation to the transfer of his question to another Department. The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. The National Statistician will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the response will be placed in the Library of the House.

Employment

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1299-1301W, on employment, if he will break down the figures in Table D, foreign nationals, into  (a) EU and  (b) non EU citizens.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is given in the following tables.
	The figures for foreign nationals provided in the answer given to the hon. Member on 12 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1299-1301W, were, as stated in the response, based on 2003 population estimates which were the latest estimates available at the time. On 14 May, ONS released re-weighted data based on 2007 population estimates. The foreign nationals table provided has therefore been revised to reflect the latest population estimates available and to include data on additional quarters now available, namely Q2 1998, Q2 2000 and Q1 2008. The tables for EU and non-EU nationals also use the 2007 population estimates.
	
		
			  Table (D) foreign nationals 
			   (i) Employment rate (percentage)  (ii) WA employment  (iii) 16+ employment 
			 Q2 1997 60.3 940,000 970,000 
			 Q2 1998 60.3 1,040,000 1,060,000 
			 Q2 1999 60.0 990,000 1,020,000 
			 Q2 2000 60.4 1,110,000 1,140,000 
			 Q2 2001 61.6 1,180,000 1,210,000 
			 Q2 2002 62.2 1,260,000 1,300,000 
			 Q2 2003 62.7 1,360,000 1,390,000 
			 Q2 2004 64.8 1,470,000 1,500,000 
			 Q2 2005 63.9 1,570,000 1,600,000 
			 Q1 2006 67.0 1,760,000 1,800,000 
			 Q2 2006 68.0 1,840,000 1,880,000 
			 Q3 2006 69.2 1,910,000 1,960,000 
			 Q4 2006 68.7 1,960,000 2,010,000 
			 Q1 2007 66.9 1,980,000 2,020,000 
			 Q2 2007 67.9 2,100,000 2,140,000 
			 Q3 2007 68.6 2,110,000 2,150,000 
			 Q4 2007 68.3 2,170,000 2,210,000 
			 Q1 2008 69.2 2,250,000 2,290,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Table (D) (a) EU nationals 
			   (i) Employment rate (percentage)  (ii) WA employment  (iii) 16+ employment 
			 Q2 1997 66.7 400,000 420,000 
			 Q2 1998 68.5 450,000 470,000 
			 Q2 1999 69.0 430,000 450,000 
			 Q2 2000 69.0 440,000 460,000 
			 Q2 2001 72.6 470,000 490,000 
			 Q2 2002 72.4 460,000 480,000 
			 Q2 2003 72.4 490,000 520,000 
			 Q2 2004 71.9 560,000 580,000 
			 Q2 2005 73.2 620,000 640,000 
			 Q1 2006 75.2 720,000 740,000 
			 Q2 2006 75.8 710,000 730,000 
			 Q3 2006 77.3 750,000 780,000 
			 Q4 2006 77.2 830,000 860,000 
			 Q1 2007 77.4 900,000 920,000 
			 Q2 2007 77.1 970,000 990,000 
			 Q3 2007 78.4 970,000 990,000 
			 Q4 2007 79.0 1,010,000 1,030,000 
			 Q1 2008 78.9 1,070,000 1,090,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Table (D) (b) non-EU nationals 
			   (i) Employment r ate (percentage)  (ii) WA employment  (iii) 16+  e mployment 
			 Q2 1997 56.2 540,000 550,000 
			 Q2 1998 55.3 590,000 300,000 
			 Q2 1999 54.6 560,000 570,000 
			 Q2 2000 55.9 670,000 580,000 
			 Q2 2001 56.0 710,000 ^30,000 
			 Q2 2002 57.5 800,000 520,000 
			 Q2 2003 58.2 860,000 370,000 
			 Q2 2004 61.1 910,000 J20.000 
			 Q2 2005 59.0 950,000 J60.000 
			 Q1 2006 62.3 1,040,000 060,000 
			 Q2 2006 63.8 1,120,000 140,000 
			 Q3 2006 64.8 1,160,000 180,000 
			 Q4 2006 63.6 1,130,000 150,000 
			 Q1 2007 60.1 1,080,000 100,000 
			 Q2 2007 61.7 1,130,000 150,000 
			 Q3 2007 62.1 1,140,000 160,000 
			 Q4 2007 61.1 1,160,000 180,000 
			 Q1 2008 62.3 1,190,000 200,000 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000. 2. The figures provided in the tables are not seasonally adjusted. This means direct comparisons between different quarters are not possible. 3. In order to provide the more detailed breakdown that is required to answer the question, a country is defined as being in the EU only from the date at which it became a member state. This means that workers from some countries (e.g. Estonia) will be counted as non-EU nationals for some years (in the case of Estonia prior to 2004) and EU nationals for other years. 4. The totals for foreign nationals in Table (D) may not be equal to the sum of the corresponding numbers shown for EU and non-EU nationalsTables (D) (a) and (D) (b) respectivelydue to rounding. 5. As these figures are based on a sample survey they are also subject to sampling variability. 6. It should be noted that the nationality question in the LFS is an undercount because: it excludes those who have not been resident in the UK for six months; it excludes students in halls who do not have a UK resident parent; it excludes people in most other types of communal establishments (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc); it is grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying for 12 months or more.  Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Employment Services: Hearing Impaired

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what facilities jobcentres offer to deaf people who arrive to make enquiries  (a) with and  (b) without an appointment; and how many front-line jobcentre staff have qualifications in British Sign Language.

Stephen Timms: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 22 July 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked Lesley Strathie to reply to your question asking what facilities Jobcentres offer to deaf people who arrive to make enquiries (a) with and (b) without an appointment; and how many front line jobcentre staff have qualifications in British Sign Language. I am replying on behalf of Lesley Strathie as acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Within Jobcentre Plus we recognise the diverse range of customers we serve and we are fully committed to providing equally accessible and available services to all customers.
	Customers who are hearing impaired can obtain support from Jobcentre Plus in the following ways:
	if a customer is able to use a hearing loop, we provide integrated and portable hearing loop facilities in each Jobcentre;
	where customers prefer to have a qualified British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter present, the Jobcentre will arrange for an external interpreter to be present at the interview. We currently have four contracted providers that provide BSL interpreters nationally, or staff can use local qualified interpreters, lip speakers, or deaf blind interpreters; or
	alternatively, customers can choose to bring friends, relatives or intermediaries to act as interpreting agents for them. If a customer provides their own professional qualified interpreter they can be reimbursed with reasonable costs.
	We do not hold a central national database of staff who are qualified in BSL and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	Jobcentre Plus is committed to providing a first-class service and ensuring we fully support all our customers.

Housing Benefit

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of recipients of backdated housing benefit had incomes below 60 per cent. of median income before housing costs  (a) before and  (b) after receiving backdated housing benefit in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

Housing Benefit

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on housing and related benefits in each of the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit expenditure in Great Britain 
			  Outturn ( million) 
			   Nominal terms  Real terms 2008-09 prices 
			 1987-88 3,536 7,236 
			 1988-89 3.757 7,187 
			 1989-90 4,258 7,600 
			 1990-91 5,106 8,450 
			 1991-92 6,363 9,925 
			 1992-93 7,814 11,807 
			 1993-94 9,218 13,575 
			 1994-95 10,104 14,657 
			 1995-96 10,876 15,313 
			 1996-97 11,380 15,499 
			 1997-98 11,177 14,790 
			 1998-99 11,065 14,281 
			 1999-2000 11,064 13,997 
			 2000-01 11,162 13,923 
			 2001-02 11,589 14,117 
			 2002-03 12,637 14,926 
			 2003-04 12,342 14,167 
			 2004-05 13,158 14,698 
			 2005-06 13,928 15,237 
			 2006-07 14,840 15,782 
			  Notes: 1. Information sourced from local authority claims for housing revenue account subsidy and housing benefit subsidy. 2. Figures to 2005-06 are taken from the final audited subsidy claims submitted to the Department by each local authority. 3. Figures for 2006-07 are not yet audited, and represent provisional outturn for the year. 4. Figures exclude asylum seekers from April 1999, since when the National Asylum Support Service has reimbursed DWP for benefits paid to asylum seekers.  Source: DWP expenditure tables. Benefit expenditure information is available online at www.dwp.gov.uk-asd-asd4-medium_term.asp Local authority expenditure information is available online at www.dwp.gov.uk-asd-asd4-HBandCTB_expenditure.asp

Income Support

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what effects on his Department's costs are expected to arise from the changes to the eligibility criteria for income support taking effect in  (a) October 2008 and  (b) October 2009; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what effects on his Department's costs are expected to arise from the changes to the eligibility criteria for income support taking effect in October 2010; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The estimated costs for implementing these changes are 9.2 million in 2008-09, 26.1 million in 2009-10 and 38.9 million in 2010-11, and will be met from the Department's spending settlement.
	The impact on recurrent departmental costs of the changes to the eligibility criteria for income support are currently expected to be 2.8 million in 2008-09, 20.6 million in 2009-10 and 36.5 million in 2010-11. These costs are the current estimates and will be continually reviewed during implementation.

Job Centres: Closures

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job centres have closed in each region in each of the last four years.

Stephen Timms: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves, dated 22 July 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked Lesley Strathie to reply to your question seeking details of how many Jobcentres have closed, in each region, in each of the last four years. I am replying on behalf of Lesley Strathie as acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus was created in April 2002 by the merger of the former Employment Service and Benefits Agency and has continued to refocus and transform the way it delivers its services. It now provides access to a wide range of services by telephone through Benefit Delivery and Contact Centres and provides face to face access for customers through a network of modernised Jobcentres.
	The following table provides details of the customer facing Jobcentre Plus offices which were closed between 2004 and 2007.
	
		
			  Customer facing Jobcentres closed since January 2004 
			  Region  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 East Midlands 4 2 13 2 
			 East of England 1 12 5 1 
			 London 11 7 24 10 
			 North East 4 7 4 2 
			 North West 14 10 17 8 
			 Scotland 11 14 22 3 
			 South East 14 10 15 5 
			 South West 12 11 8 4 
			 Wales 13 8 23 1 
			 West Midlands 3 7 19 12 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 8 11 7 1

Members: Correspondence

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to answer question 169293, on employment rates, tabled by the hon. Member for Hertsmere on 26 November 2007.

Stephen Timms: I replied to the hon. Member's question 169293 on employment rates today.

National Insurance: Foreign Workers

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of national insurance numbers issued to migrant workers in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The most recent data available on national insurance numbers registered to adult foreign nationals are for the financial year 2006-07. Information on these registrations can be found in the report National Insurance Number Allocations to Overseas Nationals Entering the UK 2006-07 which has been placed in the Library and is available online at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/niall/niall_report.pdf

New Deal 50 Plus

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 15 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 643-44W, on the New Deal 50 plus, how many participants there were on the New Deal 50 Plus in each month since September 2006; how many participants there have been on each other New Deal programme since the inception of each; and how many of these were completing each course for the  (a) first,  (b) second,  (c) third and  (d) fourth or more time.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 25 June 2008
	Information on the number of current participants on New Deal 50 plus is not available. These statistics have been suspended while a review of the method for compiling New Deal 50 plus current participant figures is carried out.
	Participants on the voluntary New Deals can leave the programme at any point.
	Participants on New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 plus who are claiming jobseeker's allowance are expected to follow a structured route through these mandatory New Deal programmes in order to continue receiving benefit. However, there is no strict definition of 'completing' New Deal programmes as people can leave benefits and thus leave New Deal at any point.
	The available information on the number of times an individual participates in the New Deal is in the following table.
	Benefit recipients participating in New Deal more than once are more likely to enter employment from their second spell on the programme than their first, and from their third spell than their second. Each period on New Deal moves participants closer to the labour market.
	
		
			  New DealNumber of individuals starting 
			Number of times individual participates 
			   Number of individuals starting  First time  Second time  Third time  Fourth time or more 
			 New Deal For Young people 1,282,820 912,830 256,910 84,030 29,040 
			 New Deal 25 plus 757,510 532,900 145,320 53,120 26,170 
			 New Deal For Lone Parents(1) 760,520 524,340 162,230 51,070 22,880 
			 New Deal For Disabled People 293,770 259,990 28,110 4,520 1,160 
			 New Deal 50 Plus 95,410 92,550 2,750 110 10 
			 New Deal For Partners 9,200 9,030 160 10 (2) 
			 (1 )Information on starters and current participants for New Deal for Lone Parents are currently available to March 2007 only. Statistics after this period have temporarily been withdrawn pending a review of data that feeds into the statistics. (2 )Indicates nil or negligible.  Notes: 1. Information on number of times people participate on New Deal 50 Plus is only available from January 2004. 2. Latest data are to February 2008, except for Lone Parents (March 2007see (1))  3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions

Older Workers: Further Education

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance his Department provides for people over 55 years of age who have been made redundant  (a) in the previous 12 months and  (b) more than one year ago to take up (i) further education and (ii) life-long learning opportunities.

Stephen Timms: Every participant in the New Deals, whatever their age, can call on the services of a personal adviser, who can help the claimant to look for a job or overcome their own personal barriers to finding work. The New Deals allow those out of work to take a new look at their own personal situation and to take the skills and experience that they may have already and build on them to create better opportunities for work.
	Jobcentre Plus signposts its customers to relevant non-Department for Work and Pensions contracted provision, i.e.; University for Industry (Ufl) learndirect, apprenticeship opportunities, Career Development Loans, Adult Learning Grant, Nextstep and IAG (Information, Advice and Guidance) provision in Scotland and Wales.
	The development and delivery of programmes to help unemployed people in Northern Ireland into work is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Office.

Pension Credit

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of recipients of backdated pension credit benefit had incomes below 60 per cent. of median income before housing costs  (a) before and  (b) after receiving backdated pension credit in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment the Department has made of the likely effect on pensioner poverty of the Department's proposals to reduce the backdating period for pension credit; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The specific information requested is not available.
	Since the introduction of pension credit the number of pensioners with incomes below 60 per cent. of median income after deducting housing costs, have fallen by 500,000. The proposal to change the length of time allowed for customers to claim pension credit (known as backdating) from 12 to three months is part of a further package of pensions measures that will make claiming benefit entitlements simpler and less intrusive and deliver extra support to low-income pensioners. This package includes the introduction of a more automatic claims process for housing benefit and council tax benefit claims made over the phone with pension credit claims, which will benefit around 50,000 pensioners over the comprehensive spending review period.
	Tackling pensioner poverty is a priority. We will continue to strive to ensure that older people are aware of, and take up their entitlements through initiatives such as: sophisticated data matching to identify eligible non-recipients, home visits for vulnerable customers, local and national advertising and media campaigns, a simple and straight-forward claim process and ever closer working with partner organisations.

Pension Service: Telephone Services

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what income his Department received from the Pension Service's 0845 number in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06.

Mike O'Brien: I am told that the information is not available in the form requested.
	Although the DWP, which includes the Pension Service, received a 1.5 million rebate on its telephone charges from British Telecom, in relation to its 0845 services for the period from 1 October 2005 to the 30 November 2007, this rebate was offset against DWP telephony costs. After this date, the rebate arrangements ceased. This change in arrangement does not affect the charge a customer pays for contacting the Department. The charge a customer pays depends on their personal contract.
	No information is available for any earlier period, nor on the amount relating specifically to calls to the Pension Service.

Pensioners: Poverty

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for housing benefit/local housing allowance among pensioners increased to  (a) 100 per cent. and  (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on pensioner poverty if the expenditure take-up rate for the guarantee element of pension credit increased to  (a) 100 per cent. and  (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on pensioner poverty if the expenditure take-up rates for the guarantee and savings element of pension credit increased to  (a) 100 per cent. (b) 90 per cent. and  (c) 80 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for the savings element of pension credit increased to  (a) 100 per cent.  (b) 90 per cent. and  (c) 80 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for housing benefits or local housing allowance among pensioners were increased to 100 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the expenditure take-up rate for council tax benefits amongst pensioners were increased to  (a) 100 per cent.,  (b) 90 per cent.  (c) 80 per cent. and  (d) 70 per cent.; and if he will make a statement
	(7)  what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for council tax benefits among pensioners were increased to  (a) 100 per cent.  (b) 90 per cent.  (c) 80 per cent. and  (d) 70 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for the guarantee and savings element of pension credits were  (a) 100 per cent.  (b) 90 per cent. and  (c) 80 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(9)  what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the expenditure take-up rate for the savings element of pension credits were increased to  (a) 100 per cent., and  (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(10)  what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty if the caseload take-up rate for the guarantee element of pension credit were increased to  (a) 100 per cent. and  (b) 90 per cent; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures of poverty.
	It is generally accepted that low income is central to any poverty measurement. Definitions of low income households are set out in the annual national statistics publication households below average income. This reports numbers of individuals in households below or persistently below 50 per cent., 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. of median household income before and after deducting housing costs.
	The information is not available in the format requested. It is not possible to model the impact of less than full take up of individual benefits on the number of individuals in households below thresholds of median household income in a robust way.
	Estimates will depend on which eligible non-recipients take up which benefit and where they are within the income distribution.
	It is estimated that if there were 100 per cent. take up off all income-related benefits by everyone in the population entitled to claim them the number of pensioners below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income would fall by around 700,000, after housing costs have been taken into account, based on 2008-09 benefit rates.
	Tackling pensioner poverty remains a priority. We will continue to strive to ensure that older people are aware of, and take up their entitlements through initiatives such as; using sophisticated data matching to identify eligible non-recipients, home visits for vulnerable customers, local and national advertising and media campaigns, a simple and straight-forward claim process and ever closer working with partner organisations. In addition to pension credit we have increased winter fuel payments to 200 for households with someone aged 60-79, and 300 for those with someone aged 80 or over. And we will be making an additional payment for winter 2008-09 of 50 for households with someone aged 60-79 and 100 for those with someone aged 80 or over. Since 1997, we have also introduced free eye-tests, free bus passes for pensioners and free television licences for over 75s.

Pensioners: Poverty

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of pensioner poverty of the eradication of fraud and error from  (a) the savings element of pension credits,  (b) housing benefit and local housing allowance,  (c) disability living allowance and  (d) all benefits systems; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of pensioner poverty of the eradication of fraud and error from payments of the guarantee element of pension credits; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty of the eradication of fraud and error from payments of the guarantee and savings element of pension credits; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what estimate his Department has made of the likely effect on levels of pensioner poverty of the eradication of fraud and error from council tax benefit payments; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Government are committed to tackling pensioner poverty. The strategy since 1997 has been to target help on the poorest pensioners, those who need it most, while providing a solid foundation of support for all.
	We have made significant progress. The number of pensioners in relative poverty has fallen by 900,000 since 1998-99 and by around 500,000 since the introduction of pension credit in 2003 (after housing costs).
	We are keen to ensure that support goes to the right customers at the right time and are committed to reducing fraud and error across the benefit system. The estimate of fraud and error across all benefits has reduced by a third since 2000-01 and for fraud is down by two-thirds during the same period.
	Information on the impact of the eradication of fraud and error on levels of pensioner poverty is not available.

Pensioners: Poverty

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of pensioners lived below the Government's designated poverty level, broken down by  (a) sex and  (b) age in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue and, as such, there are many possible measures.
	It is generally accepted that low income is central to any poverty measurement. As no single measure captures all aspects of poverty, the public service agreement Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life includes a range of indicators related to low income for pensioners. These are the percentage of pensioners in relative low income (below 50 and 60 per cent. contemporary median household income), and absolute low income (below 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices), measured after housing costs.
	Figures for the number and percentage of pensioners below the 60 per cent. contemporary median household income after housing costs threshold by gender and age are shown in the following tables. Further information is set out in the annual national statistics publication Households Below Average Income which is available in the Library.
	
		
			  Number of pensioners living in households with less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income after housing costs, by gender and ageFigures are United Kingdom from 2002-03 onwards. Earlier years are great Britain only 
			   Gender  Age  
			   Male  Female  60-64  65-69  70-74  75-79  80-84  85+  All pensioners 
			  Great Britain  
			 1996-97 0.9 2.0 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.3 2.9 
			 1997-98 0.9 2.0 0.3 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.4 0.3 2.9 
			 1998-99 0.9 1.9 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.4 0.3 2.9 
			 1999-2000 0.9 1.9 0.3 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.3 2.8 
			 2000-01 0.8 1.8 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.3 2.6 
			 2001-02 0.9 1.7 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 2.6 
			  United Kingdom  
			 2002-03 0.9 1.7 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.2 2.5 
			 2003-04 0.7 1.5 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 2.2 
			 2004-05 0.7 1.2 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 1.9 
			 2005-06 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 1.8 
			 2006-07 0.7 1.4 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.2 2.1 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of pensioners living in households with less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income after housing costs, by gender and ageFigures are United Kingdom from 2002-03 onwards: Earlier years are Great Britain only 
			   Gender  Age  
			   Male  Female  60-64  65-69  70-74  75-79  80-84  85+  All pensioners 
			  Great Britain  
			 1996-97 24 32 21 21 29 36 39 38 29 
			 1997-98 26 31 20 22 30 37 37 38 29 
			 1998-99 26 30 21 21 30 35 37 35 29 
			 1999-2000 24 29 21 22 28 30 39 35 28 
			 2000-01 23 28 21 21 25 31 30 33 26 
			 2001-02 23 27 21 20 27 29 31 31 26 
			  United Kingdom  
			 2002-03 23 25 20 20 24 27 30 29 24 
			 2003-04 18 22 19 18 21 23 24 22 21 
			 2004-05 16 18 18 16 16 19 19 22 18 
			 2005-06 16 18 16 16 16 17 18 22 17 
			 2006-07 17 20 17 16 17 21 21 25 19 
			  Notes 1. Data for Northern Ireland have only been collected since 2002-03, so the information shown is for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 to 2006-07, and for Great Britain for 1996-97 to 2001-02. 2. A pensioner is defined as anyone over state pension age. 3. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 4. The figures are based on OECD equalisation factors. 5. Numbers of pensioners have been rounded to the nearest 100,000, while proportions of pensioners have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. 6. Small year-on-year movements should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for council tax benefit there were in each London borough in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available prior to 2001-02. The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  New council tax benefit claims received each year by London local authorities 
			  Local authority  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Barking 6328 7153  4275 5918 6047 5102 
			 Barnet 10686 10261 7368 8501 8775 7235 6595 
			 Bexley 4737 6648 5654 4833 4661 5283 4302 
			 Brent 11547 10123 6061 8842 6785 6050 7866 
			 Bromley 1551 9234 5333 6018 6560 5342 3707 
			 Camden 7561 6864 1461 5367 4534 4983 4320 
			 City of London 162 196 81 159 121 174 149 
			 Croydon 7951 10827 11163 11400 8281 7820 4344 
			 Ealing 13758 15850 14954 12149 8513 3671 7703 
			 Enfield  9610 8859 10402 6483 8022 6496 
			 Greenwich 9418 9826 7675 8129 8006 7109 5275 
			 Hackney 18421 15266 3516 13157 8597 9152 8724 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6015 4395 6046 2663 4916 4103 3866 
			 Haringey 19495 18356 8479 5713 5328 5377 5258 
			 Harrow 3975 5620 5254 4976 4739 4704 2309 
			 Havering 5160 5370 5215 4877 4461 4567 4266 
			 Hillingdon 8954 8260 5361 5292 4059 5938 6351 
			 Hounslow  6147 3925 5775 5233 6191 5704 
			 Islington 7162 10015 8477 7902 5123 5165 7867 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3721 3895 2069 3697 4672 3385 1601 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3778 3273 3624 3458 2904 3531 3131 
			 Lambeth  17003 10802 12377 8545 8378 9186 
			 Lewisham 11076 10634 9049 10591 11269 6570 8316 
			 Merton 6278 5496 4597 4104 5544 4272 4527 
			 Newham  14907 10630 10940 10249 8563 6192 
			 Redbridge 5965 6622 5154 5900 6089 5109 4570 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2187 2426 2918 2740 2736 3013 2851 
			 Southwark 14151 16196 14024 12654 9255 9380 5913 
			 Sutton 4609 4473 2629 3211 3303 3656 3465 
			 Tower Hamlets 9852 14977 10102 8838 8260 8738 6516 
			 Waltham Forest 11593 10169 7445 7527 6505 6872 6494 
			 Wandsworth 5809 8516 6200 6043 4440 9739 4722 
			 Westminster 4885 21681969 2078 
			  Notes: 1. The total number of new council tax benefit claims consists of successful, unsuccessful, defective and withdrawn claims. 2. Where no data exists they were not supplied by the relevant local authority. 3. The Department is currently making arrangements for local authorities to submit their data where they have not previously done so for 2007-08. Consequently, the figures for 2007-8 are subject to change.  Source: Local authority reported performance data

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the administrative costs of the Financial Assistance Scheme were in each month since April 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Month  Expenditure () 
			 April 2007 126,436 
			 May 2007 124,408 
			 June 2007 137,749 
			 July 2007(1) 544,794 
			 August 2007 153,413 
			 September 2007(2) 279,951 
			 October 2007 163,836 
			 November 2007(3) 261,777 
			 December 2007 134,704 
			 January 2008 109,974 
			 February 2008 159,726 
			 March 2008 167,255 
			 April 2008 128,454 
			 May 2008 145,650 
			 (1) July costs include an element for IT (maintenance) annual costs circa 451,434 (2) September costs include an element for IT (licence and change requests) annual costs circa 159,000. (3) November costs include circa 50,000 salary costs in respect of backdated pay award and circa 76,000 IT costs.

Personal Accounts

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the percentage of final salary which would be provided for a personal account saver for  (a) men,  (b) women and  (c) all people on average earnings throughout their working lives;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the percentage of final salary from average earnings at which the income from personal account saving would provide an income above the level of the basic state pension.

Mike O'Brien: Personal accounts and other private pensions are not intended to give an income instead of the basic state pension. Any income from private pension savingin an occupational defined benefit or defined contribution schemewill be in addition to state pension entitlements.
	A male median earner, who, from age 22 in 2012 to state pension age, works and saves in an occupational defined contribution pension at the minimum level set out under reform4 per cent. from the individual, 1 per cent tax relief and 3 per cent. from the employer on banded earnings between around 5,000 and 33,000can expect to receive a gross weekly private pension of around 80 in today's earnings terms (roughly equivalent to the level of the basic state pension), and a total net weekly income of 224. His replacement rate from saving would be 50 per cent., an improvement of around 15 percentage points from saving.
	A female median earner, with the same work and savings history, can expect to receive around 55 gross weekly private pension, and a total net weekly income of 202. Her replacement rate from saving would be 57 per cent., an improvement of around 12 percentage points from saving. Her replacement rate from the state pension system is higher than that of the previous example reflecting the fact that her state pension entitlement will be the same as that for the male median example, but the earnings with which they are compared will be lower.
	A male average earner, again with the same work and savings history, can expect to receive around 72 gross weekly private pension, and a total net weekly income of 216. The replacement rate from saving would be 53 per cent., an improvement of around 14 percentage points from saving.
	 Note:
	These examples assume male median earnings of 24,440, female median earnings of 19,240 and average earnings of 22,360. For all examples, an annual management charge of 0.5 per cent, and phasing over a three year period are assumed. The whole of the pension pot is annuitised using gender-specific RPI-linked annuities for the male and female earners and a male RPI-linked annuity for the average earner. All figures are in 2007-08 earnings terms. The replacement rates shown are higher than the 45 per cent targeted by the Pensions Commission for lifetime median earners as they refer to saving from age 22 rather than from around age 30 as used by the Pensions Commission.

Personal Accounts: Females

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions based on average earnings during a working life and a final salary level of average earnings for women who take  (a) three years,  (b) four years,  (c) five years and  (d) six years out of their working life for child rearing, what percentage of final salary would be provided for a personal account saver; and if he will provide the percentage assuming (i) return to full-time working and (ii) two years on top of the time out at half-pay for part-time working.

Mike O'Brien: A female median earner, who, from age 22 in 2012 to state pension age, works and saves in an occupational defined contribution pension at the minimum level set out under reform4 per cent. from the individual, 1 per cent. tax relief and 3 per cent. from the employer on banded earnings between around 5,000 and 33,000can expect to receive around 55 gross weekly private pension, and a total net weekly income of 202. Her overall replacement rate would be 57 per cent.
	The following table shows the expected gross weekly private pension, total net weekly income and replacement rate for a female median earner, with the same work and savings history apart from taking three, four, five or six years out of their working life to raise children and then:
	(i) returns immediately to full-time work;
	(ii) works part-time for two years before returning to full-time work.
	
		
			  Retirement incomes for a women taking time out of the labour market to care for her children 
			   Years out of labour market 
			   None  3 years  4 years  5 years  6 years 
			  (i) Returns immediately to full-time work 
			 Gross private pension income () 55 50 49 47 46 
			 Net total income () 202 199 198 197 196 
			 Overall replacement rate (percentage) 57 56 55 55 55 
			   
			  (ii) Works part-time for two years before returning to full time work 
			 Gross private pension income () 55 48 47 45 44 
			 Net total income () 202 197 196 195 194 
			 Overall replacement rate (percentage) 57 55 55 54 54 
			  Notes: 1. Net total income is total retirement income after tax from private pension income, basic state pension, second state pension and income related benefits. Replacement rate is total retirement income as a percentage of final salary  2. These examples assume full-time female median earnings of 19,240, part-time median earnings of 9,620, an annual management charge of 0.5 per cent., and that contributions are phased in over a three-year period. The break from labour market activity is assumed to occur at age 30. The whole of the pension pot is annuitised using gender-specific RPI-linked annuities. Replacement rates are rounded to the nearest 1 per cent. and income figures are rounded to the nearest 1. Figures are based on standard assumptions about factors such as investment growth and a lifestyled fund.

Post Office Card Account

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much and what proportion of each type of state benefit payable to residents in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne was paid into Post Office card accounts in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The answer is not available in the precise format requested. The following table shows the number and percentage of state benefit payments paid into Post Office card accounts in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   December 2003  December 2004  December 2005  December 2006  December 2007 
			   Total  %  Total  %  Total  %  Total  %  Total  % 
			 Attendance Allowance 10 2 120 19 130 22 110 21 140 25 
			 Bereavement Benefit 10 11 10 11   
			 Disability Living Allowance 30 1 530 18 690 23 690 23 740 23 
			 Incapacity Benefit   360 18 550 27 510 26 480 25 
			 Carers Allowance   160 24 210 31 220 31 220 29 
			 Industrial Death Benefit   10 47 10 56 10 60 10 57 
			 Industrial Injuries 40 6 130 30 140 32 130 30 120 30 
			 Income Support 20 1 1,020 25 1,550 40 1,460 37 1,290 34 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance 10 1 180 12 320 22 310 20 280 18 
			 Pension Credit 20  1,320 29 1,990 44 1,930 42 1,850 41 
			 State Pension 100 1 1,390 14 2,240 23 2,140 22 2,040 21 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance   20 10 60 28 60 27 60 29 
			 Widows Benefit   20 12 30 22 20 20 10 15 
			 Total 230 1 5,260 19 7,910 30 7,590 28 7,230 27 
			  Notes: Information Directorate 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10, percentages to the nearest whole percent. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding.. 3. Figures refer to payment accounts. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment on the specified date. 4. Child Benefit is administered by HM Revenue and Customs and War Pensions are administered by MOD. These benefits have therefore been excluded.  Source:  DWP.

Post Office Card Account

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many residents in Tamworth constituency have active post office card accounts;
	(2)  how much and what proportion of each type of state benefit paid to residents in Tamworth constituency was paid into post office card accounts in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The answer is not available in the precise format requested.
	The following table shows the number and percentage of state benefit payments paid into Post Office card accounts in Tamworth constituency in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   December 2003  December 2004  December 2005  December 2006  December 2007 
			   Total  %  Total  %  Total  %  Total  %  Total  % 
			 Attendance Allowance 10 1 120 17 140 22 130 21 130 25 
			 Bereavement Benefit   10 11 10 5 
			 Disability Living Allowance 30 1 470 13 540 23 550 23 560 23 
			 Incapacity Benefit 50 2 250 13 350 27 330 26 290 25 
			 Carers Allowance   150 19 160 31 140 31 140 29 
			 Industrial Death Benefit 10 56 10 60 10 57 
			 Industrial Injuries 10 2 110 18 120 32 110 30 100 30 
			 Income Support 170 7 420 17 590 40 580 37 530 34 
			 Jobseekers Allowance 10 1 80 10 90 22 90 20 80 18 
			 Pension Credit 20 1 920 24 1,300 44 1,280 42 1,240 41 
			 State Pension 150 1 1,680 13 2,630 23 2,510 22 2,410 21 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance   20 11 40 28 40 27 30 29 
			 Widows Benefit   20 10 30 22 20 20 20 15 
			 Total 460 2 4,25 0 15 5,98 0 30 5,78 0 28 5,520 27 
			  Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10, percentages to the nearest whole per cent. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Figures refer to payment accounts. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment as at December in each year, 2003 to 2007. 4. Child benefit is administered by HM Revenue and Customs and war pensions are administered by MOD. These benefits have therefore been excluded.  Source: DWP, Information Directorate

Post Office Card Account

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much and what proportion of each type of state benefit payable to residents in Wrexham constituency was paid into Post Office card accounts in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The answer is not available in the precise format requested. The following table shows the number and percentage of state benefit payments paid into Post Office card accounts in Wrexham constituency in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   December 2003  December 2004  December 2005  December 2006  December 2007 
			   Total  %  Total  %  Total  %  Total  %  Total  % 
			 Attendance Allowance 10 2 120 17 140 21 140 23 130 23 
			 Bereavement Benefit   10 9   
			 Disability Living Allowance 20 1 680 18 810 22 820 22 810 21 
			 Incapacity Benefit   360 16 510 22 470 21 420 20 
			 Carers Allowance   130 18 160 21 180 24 160 21 
			 Industrial Death Benefit   10 58 10 55 10 50   
			 Industrial Injuries   130 27 130 27 110 24 110 24 
			 Income Support 20 1 570 23 810 32 760 30 700 28 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance   70 10 130 16 150 18 140 17 
			 Pension Credit   950 27 1,500 42 1,500 42 1,460 41 
			 State Pension 30  1,740 17 2,630 25 2,540 23 2,490 22 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance   30 13 60 30 60 29 50 27 
			 Widows Benefit   10 5 40 25 30 22 20 21 
			 Total 80  4,790 19 6,910 27 6,760 26 6,490 25 
			  Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10, percentages to the nearest whole per cent. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Figures refer to payment accounts. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment on the specified date. 4. Child benefit is administered by HM Revenue and Customs and war pensions are administered by MOD. These benefits have therefore been excluded. Source: DWP, Information Directorate

Poverty

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of  (a) 55 to 59 year olds,  (b) 60 to 64 year olds and  (c) 65 to 69 year olds lived in households with below 60 per cent. of median income (i) before and (ii) after deducting household costs in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: This information is given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and proportion of 55 to 59-year-olds in households below 60 per cent. of median income 
			 Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			  Coverage  Year  Total number of 55 to 59 year olds (million)  Number below 60% of median income (million)  Percentage below 60% of median income  Number below 60% of median income (million)  Percentage below 60% of median income 
			 GB 1997-98 2.9 0.5 16 0.5 18 
			  1998-99 3.0 0.5 16 0.5 18 
			  1999-2000 3.1 0.5 15 0.5 17 
			  2000-01 3.1 0.5 16 0.6 18 
			  2001-02 3.3 0.5 16 0.6 18 
			 UK 2002-03 3.7 0.6 15 0.6 17 
			  2003-04 3.9 0.6 16 0.7 18 
			  2004-05 3.8 0.6 15 0.6 16 
			  2005-06 3.9 0.6 15 0.6 17 
			  2006-07 3.9 0.7 17 0.7 18 
			  Source:  Households Below Average Income, DWP 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and proportion of  60 to 64 9-year-olds in households below 60 per cent. of median income 
			 Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			  Coverage  Year  Total number of  60 to 64 year olds (million)  Number below 60% of median income (million)  Percentage below 60% of median income  Number below 60% of median income (million)  Percentage below 60% of median income 
			 GB 1997-98 2.7 0.5 19 0.6 22 
			  1998-99 2.7 0.5 19 0.6 21 
			  1999-2000 2.8 0.5 19 0.6 22 
			  2000-01 2.8 0.5 18 0.6 21 
			  2001-02 2.8 0.6 21 0.6 22 
			 UK 2002-03 2.9 0.6 19 0.6 21 
			  2003-04 3.0 0.6 19 0.6 20 
			  2004-05 3.0 0.5 18 0.6 19 
			  2005-06 3.1 0.6 18 0.5 18 
			  2006-07 3.2 0.6 18 0.6 18 
			  Source:  Households Below Average Income, DWP 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and proportion of  65 to 6 9-year-olds in households below 60 per cent. of median income 
			 Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			  Coverage  Year  Total number of  65 to 6 9 year olds (million)  Number below 60% of median income (million)  Percentage below 60% of median income  Number below 60% of median income (million)  Percentage below 60% of median income 
			 GB 1997-98 2.6 0.5 19 0.6 22 
			  1998-99 2.5 0.5 20 0.5 21 
			  1999-2000 2.5 0.5 19 0.6 22 
			  2000-01 2.5 0.5 20 0.5 21 
			  2001-02 2.5 0.4 18 0.5 20 
			 UK 2002-03 2.5 0.5 19 0.5 20 
			  2003-04 2.5 0.5 18 0.4 18 
			  2004-05 2.6 0.4 17 0.4 16 
			  2005-06 2.7 0.5 18 0.4 16 
			  2006-07 2.6 0.5 18 0.4 16 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income data. 2. Data for Northern Ireland have only been collected since 2002-03, so the information shown is for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 to 2006-07, and for Great Britain for 1997-98 to 2001-02. 3. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 4. The reference period for Household Below Average Income figures is single financial years. 5. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 6. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 7. Figures have been presented on both a Before Housing Cost and After Housing Cost basis. For Before Housing Cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Cost they are. 8. The Government's preferred measures of low income for pensioners are based on incomes measured after housing costs. Measuring income on an after housing costs basis is appropriate, as two thirds of pensioners own their property outright and so face lower housing costs to meet from their current income while still deriving value from their home. This is different to the current working age population and to the situation for pensioners in the past. Considering pensioners' incomes compared to others after deducting housing costs allows for more meaningful comparisons of income between working age people and pensioners, and between pensioners over time 9. As part of PSA Delivery Agreement 17 three indicators of low income poverty will be monitored: the percentage of pensioners below 60 per cent. contemporary median income, 50 per cent median income and 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices. 10. Numbers of individuals in each age range have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 individuals, while proportions of individuals in each age range have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.  Source:  Households Below Average Income, DWP

Poverty

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of children were living in working households earning less than 60 per cent. of median income  (a) before and  (b) after housing costs in each English region in each year since 1990.

Stephen Timms: Specific information regarding low income for the UK is available in Households Below Average Income 1994/95 to 2006/07. This annual report, which is a National Statistics publication, includes the numbers and proportions of individuals, children, working age adults and pensioners with incomes below 50 per cent., 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. of median income, and the proportions in persistent poverty.
	Available information has been placed in the Library.

Poverty: Children

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in each London borough were living in poverty in each of the last 10 years, broken down by ethnicity.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available.
	Our child poverty statistics, published in the Households Below Average Income series, allow a breakdown of child poverty by Government office region. The Households Below Average Income Series cannot provide information below the level of Government office region.
	Work is currently under way to develop an indicator of child poverty at the local level that will measure the proportion of children in families living in poverty in both out of work and in work families. It is intended that this indicator will be used as the local area agreement child poverty indicator from April 2009 onwards.

Poverty: Children

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of children who would be lifted out of poverty if there was 100 per cent. take-up of entitlement to  (a) council tax benefit,  (b) income support,  (c) housing benefit and  (d) jobseeker's allowance.

Stephen Timms: There are many possible measures of poverty. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that low income is central to any poverty measurement. Definitions of low income households are set out in the annual National Statistics publication Households Below Average Income. This reports numbers of individuals in households below or persistently below 50 per cent., 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. of median household income before and after deducting housing costs.
	If there were 100 per cent. take up of the main income-related benefits by everyone in the population entitled to claim them, it is estimated that the number of children below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income would fall by around 200,000 before housing costs are taken into account and 100,000 on an after housing costs basis, based on 2008-09 benefit rates.

Poverty: Elderly

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of 60 to 64 year olds lived in households below 40 per cent. of median income  (a) before and  (b) after deducting household costs in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: Specific information regarding low income for the UK is available in Households Below Average Income 1994-95 to 2006-07. This annual report, which is a National Statistics publication, includes the numbers and proportions of pensioners with incomes below 50 per cent., 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. of median income, and the proportions in persistent poverty.
	Information covering 40 per cent. of median income is not presented in the Households Below Average Income series as it is an unreliable measure of poverty. This is because households stating the lowest incomes to the Family Resources Survey may not actually have the lowest living standards. Many people who report very low incomes appear to have high spending. Hence any statistics on numbers in this group may be misleading. It is also the case that the Institute for Fiscal Studies in their 'Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2008' report (June 2008) have said
	Levels of material deprivation generally fall as incomes rise, but children in households with less than 40 per cent. of median incomeso-called 'severe' povertyare, on average, less deprived than those in households with between 40 per cent. and 60 per cent. of median income. This reinforces existing concerns that households with the lowest recorded incomes in HBAI are not those with the lowest living standards.
	Some types of minimal income households include:
	Under-recording of very fragmented incomes. If a household draws on a high number of different income sources, some may be omitted from their survey responses.
	Some households will have transitional periods of low income, being between (possibly well paid) jobs at the precise time of survey interview or being self-employed where incomes can vary greatly from year to year. Older households could be waiting to receive a private or company pension, awaiting the outcome of a benefits claim or be in probate after a partner has died.
	There will also be some households who are drawing on savings to cope with perhaps a longer period of minimal incomes.
	Finally, there will be some households who are genuinely having to cope on very low incomes, and perhaps be getting into debt to maintain levels of expenditure.
	Only the final two categories are genuinely low-income, and evidence is that statistics covering below 40 per cent. of median income include a mix of all four categories.
	The information given in the following table should therefore be treated with caution.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and proportion of 60 to 64-year-olds in households below 40 per cent. of median income 
			 Before housing costs  After housing costs 
			  Coverage  Year  Total number of 60 to 64-year-olds (million)  Number below 40 per cent. of median income (million)  Percentage below 40 per cent. of median income  Number below 40 per cent. of median income (million)  Percentage below 40 per cent. of median income 
			 GB 1997-98 2.7 0.1 5 0.2 6 
			  1998-99 2.7 0.2 5 0.2 6 
			  1999-2000 2.8 0.2 6 0.2 7 
			  2000-01 2.8 0.2 6 0.2 6 
			  2001-02 2.8 0.2 6 0.2 7 
			
			 UK 2002-03 2.9 0.2 7 0.2 7 
			  2003-04 3.0 0.2 7 0.2 7 
			  2004-05 3.0 0.2 6 0.2 7 
			  2005-06 3.1 0.2 6 0.2 7 
			  2006-07 3.2 0.2 6 0.2 7 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income data. 2. Data for Northern Ireland have only been collected since 2002-03, so the information shown is for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 to 2006-07, and for Great Britain for 1997-98 to 2001-02. 3. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 4. The reference period for Household Below Average Income figures is single financial years. 5. This response includes a lower income threshold of 40 per cent. of the contemporary median income. The data for households with an income lower than 50 per cent. of median are not considered to be accurate as an indicator of living standards. Many of these households while having very low incomes would not be considered poor, but who do genuinely have few sources of income in the short-run. These figures are not National Statistics and caution must be applied because those people stating the lowest incomes in the FRS may not actually have the lowest living standards. 6. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 7. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 8. Figures have been presented on both a before housing cost and after housing cost basis. For before housing cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for after housing cost they are. 
			 9. The Government's preferred measures of low income for pensioners are based on incomes measured after housing costs. Measuring income on an after housing costs basis is appropriate, as two thirds of pensioners own their property outright and so face lower housing costs to meet from their current income while still deriving value from their home. This is different to the current working age population and to the situation for pensioners in the past. Considering pensioners' incomes compared to others after deducting housing costs allows for more meaningful comparisons of income between working age people and pensioners, and between pensioners over time. 10. As part of PSA Delivery Agreement 17 three indicators of low income poverty will be monitored: the percentage of pensioners below 60 per cent. contemporary median income, 50 per cent. median income and 60 per cent. of 1998-99 median income uprated in line with prices.  Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP 
		
	
	Numbers of 60 to 64-year-olds have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 individuals, while proportions of 60 to 64-year-olds have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.

Retirement

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of employees asked to retire on reaching 65 years of age in each year since 2000.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 and no data are available prior to that date. At that time the compulsory retirement age for the Department was 65 for those below the senior civil service grades. For the years ending September 2001, 2002 and 2003 the numbers of employees who were asked to retire at age 65 were 123, 125 and 131 respectively.
	From October 2003 the Department introduced arrangements that allowed its employees below the senior civil service grades to remain in employment beyond the age of 65. This was formalised in October 2006 when the Department removed its retirement age altogether for employees below the senior civil service grades. Employees can retire, if they wish, when they reach civil service minimum pension age. For most employees that is age 60, but they are not obliged to retire on reaching that age.
	Until October 2006 the mandatory retirement age for senior civil servants was 60. After this date it was raised to 65, where it currently remains. No employees at senior civil service grades in the Department have been asked to retire on reaching age 65.

School Leaving: Further Education

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance his Department provides to school leavers who have been unemployed for  (a) more than six months and  (b) more than one year to help them take up (i) further education and (ii) life-long learning opportunities.

Stephen Timms: Young people are supported by Connexions, where the focus is upon keeping young people in education and learning rather than solely upon moving them into employment. The service is managed locally by Connexions Partnerships that bring together all the key youth support services and young people are actively involved in its design and delivery.
	Jobcentre Plus provides a valuable service for 16 and 17 year-olds in financial hardship, such as those who have been in care or who are estranged from parents and are now living independently. Without jobseeker's allowance they would have no income if they were unemployed.
	Changes were made to new deal from April this year to allow 18-year olds who had spent at least six months not in education, employment or training, by agreement with their personal adviser, to be fast tracked to the gateway of the new deal for young people on a voluntary basis. Following the introduction of the flexible new deal next year, this group of young job seekers will be fast tracked on a mandatory basis to the supported job search stage of the new programme.
	Every participant in the new deals, regardless of their age, can call on the services of a personal adviser, who can help the claimant to look for a job or overcome their own personal barriers to finding work. The new deals allow those out of work to take a new look at their own personal situation and to take the skills and experience that they may have already and build on them to create better opportunities for work.
	Jobcentre Plus signposts its customers to relevant non-Department for Work and Pensions contracted provision, ie; University for Industry (Ufl) learndirect, apprenticeship opportunities, career development loans, adult learning grant, Nextstep and IAG (Information, Advice and Guidance) provision in Scotland and Wales.
	The development and delivery of programmes to help unemployed people in Northern Ireland into work is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Office.

Social Fund

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for  (a) crisis loans,  (b) budgeting loans and  (c) community care grants were received in (i) each Jobcentre Plus district and (ii) each region of the UK in each month since October 2003; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Social Fund: Personation

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many social fund loans were found to have been issued to people who had fraudulently used someone else's identity to apply for the loan in the most recent period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: There are no recorded outcomes for the current reporting year where social fund loans have been paid to individuals who have fraudulently used someone else's identity to apply for the loan.

Social Security

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much of the money allocated to each local authority to make  (a) exceptional hardship payments and  (b) exceptional circumstances payments was unspent in each year between 1991 and 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether the calculation of the amount allocated to local authorities for the payment of  (a) exceptional hardship payments and  (b) exceptional circumstances payments takes account of average rental prices (i) nationally and (ii) in the relevant local authority; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: There was no requirement for local authorities to return any unspent exceptional hardship payments. Therefore, the information requested is not available. Department for Work and Pensions allocated payments of exceptional hardship payments according to the local authority's case load and the number of cases restricted by the rent restriction rules.
	Funding for exceptional circumstances payments was met from the local authority's own budget and not the Department for Work and Pensions.

Speech-Writing Services

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons Mr. Phil Collins left his post as his speechwriter.

James Purnell: Mr. Collins holds and has held no such post. My Department has a contract in place with Mr. Collins under which he can be paid for providing speech-writing services to the Department. The contract ends in March 2009.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many staff in her Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last five years.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office was established on 12 October 2007. Since that date no staff have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days.

Equality Bill

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what estimate she has made of the cost of implementing the provisions of the draft Equality Bill; and if she will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: An initial regulatory impact assessment was published with the consultation on the proposals for the Bill last year. This is now in the process of being revised. A further impact assessment will be published before the Bill is introduced.

Refuges: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what services are available in Halifax constituency for women seeking refuge from domestic violence who have no access to public funds to assist them.

Barbara Follett: The services available to women seeking refuge from domestic violence who have no access to public funds in the constituency of Halifax differ, at present, depending on whether or not the woman concerned has children.
	If she has, the services available to her and her children are coordinated under a protocol set up by the Calderdale Domestic Violence Forum in partnership with Calderdale council; Calderdale Women's Refuge and Calderdale Asian Women's Refugeboth of which are owned by Stonham Housing; Calderdale Women's Centre; Nashayman Housing Association and West Yorkshire police.
	Under this protocol women and children with no safe alternative accommodation are referred to either the Calderdale Women's Refuge or Calderdale Asian Women's Refuge. Funding is supplied by Calderdale council and their Supporting People Team. Every effort is made to keep children in education and to rebuild the family's life outside the refuge. Legal advice is also given on the completion of applications of leave to remain in the UK.
	Calderdale Domestic Violence Forum are now working to develop this protocol further so that support is in place for women without children, including pregnant women, who have no recourse to public funds. The Forum aim to have the full protocol in place by December 2008, with funding identified to assist single women as well as those with children.

JUSTICE

Approved Premises: Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn, Hatfield (Grant Shapps) of 9 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 1626-27W, on approved premises: planning applications, how many planning applications his Department and its agencies have submitted in the last 24 months in relation to converting residential premises into use as bail hostels; and in what local authority areas.

David Hanson: None.

Bail

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average fine for failure to surrender to bail was in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: The following shows the average fine amount for those convicted of failing to surrender for bail in 2006.
	 2006
	Number of persons12,909
	Average fine amount61.07
	The proportion of those given various disposals for failing to surrender to bail at all courts are as follows, as well as guidance regarding the factors to be taken into account when sentencing for this offence:
	
		
			  Result  Percentage 
			 Absolute discharge 2.3 
			 Conditional discharge 6.3 
			 Fine 47.6 
			 Community sentence 13.1 
			 Suspended sentence 1.3 
			 Immediate custody 11.3 
			 Otherwise dealt with 18.2 
			 Total 100.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Based on a first offence of deliberately failing to surrender to custody, giving no thought to the consequences 
			  Principal features  Starting point  Aggravating factors  Mitigating factors 
			  Substantial harm Custodial sentence commensurate with degree of harm length of time absconded caring responsibilities 
			 trial adjourned  previous relevant* convictions genuine mistake 
			 delay likely to impact on quality of evidence presented  deliberate attempt to seriously undermine the course of justice early voluntary surrender 
			 likely distress to victims and witnesses
			 confidence in administration of justice undermined
			 
			  Significant harm Custody threshold passed length of time absconded caring responsibilities 
			 significant delay to administration of justice, including sentence  previous relevant* convictions genuine mistake 
			 delay to other cases  deliberate attempt to seriously undermine the course of justice early voluntary surrender 
			 repeated breach of court orders
			 
			  Negligible harm Community order e.g. curfew, disqualification from driving previous relevant* convictions caring responsibilities 
			 short delay  deliberate attempt to seriously undermine the course of justice genuine mistake 
			 wasted resources e.g. court time, prosecution time and public funds   early voluntary surrender 
		
	
	From the Sentencing Guidelines Council consultation on bail offences 2004.

Bail Accommodation and Support Scheme

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) defendants and  (b) offenders have been placed in ClearSprings accommodation since the start of the Bail Accommodation and Support Scheme.

Jack Straw: Up to 16 July, 827 defendants on bail and 639 prisoners released from prison on Home Detention Curfew had been placed in the Bail Accommodation and Support Service. Of these 776 defendants and 621 offenders were provided with housing.

Compensation: Vioxx

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will ask the Legal Services Commission to re-examine the case for granting legal aid for actions involving damages to health caused by taking the drug Vioxx;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to help those whose health has been damaged by the drug Vioxx to bring pressure on Merck and Co to settle appropriate compensation claims.

Maria Eagle: Decisions about legal funding in civil cases are entirely a matter for the Legal Services Commission (LSC), which is independent of the Government. It would be inappropriate for any Minister to intervene in, or comment on, decisions made about the grant of funding in an individual case. It is important that these decision are free from political and Government influence.
	The LSC refused an application to pursue a multi-party action (MPA) against the manufacturers of Vioxx in 2005, and a subsequent appeal was dismissed. At that appeal the applicants' solicitors were invited to submit further information to have their appeal reconsidered, but they chose not to do this. No further application for an MPA associated with Vioxx has since been received. However, if new evidence has come to light, the individuals concerned are welcome to submit a new application for funding to the LSC via their solicitors.

Criminal Records

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of  (a) black,  (b) white and  (c) Asian men have a criminal record, broken down by age.

Jack Straw: The information requested is not available.
	Figures on the proportions of the population with a criminal history in England and Wales can be found in 'Criminal careers of those born between 1953 and 1978' at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hosb401.pdf
	However, this publication does not provide figures for different ethnic groups as the court data from which these figures are derived do not include complete information on the ethnicity of offenders.

Custody: Social Workers

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the ratio of children's social workers practising in the penal establishment to children held in such custody was  (a) overall and  (b) in every establishment where children are kept.

David Hanson: Information supplied by the Youth Justice Board indicates that the overall ratio of social workers to places in young offender institutions for under 18- year-olds is 1:164. The following table, also based on Youth Justice Board data, shows the ratio of social worker posts to places in each young offender institution in the secure estate for children and young people. To a large extent, the varying ratios reflect the differing sizes of establishments. Steps are being taken to fill five posts that are currently vacant.
	
		
			  YOI  Ratio of social workers to trainees 
			 Ashfield 1:200 
			 Brinsford 1:112 
			 Castington 1:168 
			 Cookham Wood 1:157 
			 Downview 0:16 
			 Eastwood Park 0:16 
			 Feltham 1:120 
			 Foston Hall 0:16 
			 Hindley 1:96 
			 Huntercombe 1:180 
			 Lancaster Farms 1:120 
			 New Hall 1:26 
			 Pare 1:64 
			 Stoke Heath 1:202 
			 Warren Hill 1:222 
			 Werrington 1:160 
			 Wetherby 1:204 
			 Overall ratio 1:164

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what measures are in place in his Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Maria Eagle: The Department records in its accounting system the total of spending on hospitality.
	There is no departmental requirement to separately monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes and therefore no mechanism for this information to be recorded.
	All expenditure, including that on hospitality, is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	This is supplemented by an internal hospitality policy that applies to all staff which confirms that no alcohol is to be provided as part of in-house hospitality (e.g. conferences and away days).

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what purchasing process is used by his Department for the procurement of alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Maria Eagle: Where alcohol is provided for external hospitality purposes this would be met through either contracted catering providers or local purchasing arrangements.
	My Department has an internal hospitality policy that applies to all staff which confirms that no alcohol is to be provided as part of in-house hospitality (e.g. conferences and away days).

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to prevent future losses of sensitive data by his Department;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to implement the new set of mandatory standards for Government Departments as outlined by the Cabinet Office's Data handling procedures in government review;
	(3)  how much has been allocated within his Department to ensure compliance with the new set of minimum mandatory standards, set out in the Cabinet Office's Data handling in government review;
	(4)  how many individuals his Department holds sensitive data on.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice is determined to ensure that all personal information is managed in accordance with the Cabinet Office's Final Report on Data Handling Procedures in Government. The Ministry has set up a dedicated Information Assurance Programme to oversee implementation of the new set of minimum mandatory standards contained in the report. The Ministry expects to spend in the region of 630,000 to cover the costs of managing the programme. Any new development costs will be met from within existing Business Group budgets through re-prioritisation of expenditure.
	The Ministry does not hold a central register of the total number of records it holds containing sensitive data. Such information may be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Each Business Group within the Ministry is required to manage its information in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Government's Manual of Protective Security.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many freedom of information requests his Department resolved within  (a) 20 days,  (b) 40 and  (c) 60 working days in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many freedom of information requests answered by his Department in the last 12 months cited an exemption in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 as a reason not to provide all the requested information.

Michael Wills: In the 12 months from April 2007 to March 2008 a total of 1,803 non-routine requests were received by the Ministry of Justice. Of these, 67 per cent. were answered within 20 days, in a further 17 per cent. of cases the 20 day time limit was extended for consideration of the public interest in releasing the information requested. Statistics on the number of requests not resolved within the 20 day time limit are not collected in the form requested.
	The number of requests received by the Ministry of Justice during this period where the requested information was withheld, either in full or in part, under the Freedom of Information or Environmental Information Regulations was 182.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many unanswered freedom of information requests there have been by his Department in the last 12 months.  [Official Report, 10 September 2008, Vol. 479, c. 12MC.]

Michael Wills: Statistics published by the Ministry of Justice in the annual report on freedom of information in central Government for 2007 show that of a total of 1,427 non-routine requests received by the Department. 88 (6 per cent.) had not received a substantive response within the 20 day time limit. The annual report can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformationquarterly.htm.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost has been of dealing with freedom of information requests to his Department in the last 12 months.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice does not calculate the cost of dealing with each freedom of information request and so the total cost is not available.

Departmental Marketing

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost was of  (a) internet and website design and hosting,  (b) print media design and  (c) broadcast media of each of his Department's public information campaigns since 1997.

Michael Wills: Since my Department was created in May 2007, the Ministry of Justice has spent the following on public information campaigns.
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice 
			   
			(a) internet and website design and hosting  (b) print media design  (c) Broadcast media 
			  Her Majesty's Courts Service 
			 2005-06 Operation Paybackto persuade fine defaulters to pay up Nil Nil (1)94,000 
			  
			  National Offender Management Service 
			 2007-08 Community Sentencing campaignto increase confidence in the effectiveness of criminal justice Nil 3,500 Nil 
			  
			  Office for Criminal Justice Reform 
			 2004-08 Inside Justice Week campaignto make CJS more accessible through a themed week of public and media events (2)48,000 20,600 Nil 
			 (1) Radio (2) 2006 
		
	
	Since the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) was created in April 2003, the Department spent the following on public information campaigns.
	
		
			   
			(a) internet and website design and hosting  (b) print media design  (c) Broadcast media 
			  DCA HQ 
			 2006-07 Domestic Violence campaignto publicise remedies available to victims of domestic violence Nil 485 Nil 
			 2005-06 Voter Registration campaign (18-24)to encourage young people to register to vote 3,000 12,000 (1)62,000 
			  Magistrates Awareness campaignto publicise the role of magistrates within the criminal and civil justice system (2) 19,080 (1)107,000 
			 2002-05 Freedom of Informationto raise awareness of the Freedom of Information Act. (3) (3) (3) 
			  
			  The Court Service 
			 2004-05 Operation Payback Nil Nil (1)95,000 
			 2003-04 Operation Payback Nil Nil (1)79,000 
			  
			  Office of the Public Guardian 
			 2004-05 Powers of attorney campaignto raise awareness of powers of attorney Nil 2,512 Nil 
			 (1) Radio (2) Costs for hosting and design cannot be separated out (3) A total of 387,000 was spent during the three years but available records do not show how this was broken down into broadcast media, print media design or website design and hosting 
		
	
	DCA's predecessor, Lord Chancellor's Department (LCD) launched the Community Legal Service in 2000 to inform people where to go for civil legal advice, help and representation. A total of 1,347,000 was spent on advertising but a separate figure for broadcast media cannot be identified. Further details regarding spend on this campaign are not available.

Departmental Public Participation

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what citizens' juries are planned in the next six months;
	(2)  on what policy areas citizens' juries are being held in the next six months.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice has recently published a framework for greater citizen engagement which includes proposals to make greater use of citizens' juries and on which we are currently seeking views. However, the Ministry of Justice has no citizens' juries currently scheduled to take place over the next six months.

Departmental Public Participation

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of citizens' juries held by his Department in the last 12 months was.

Michael Wills: My Department has not held any citizens' juries over the last 12 months and has therefore incurred no costs.

Departmental Public Participation

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have attended a  (a) citizens' jury and  (b) citizens' summit sponsored by his Department in the last 12 months.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice has not sponsored any citizens' juries or citizens' summits over the last 12 months. We have begun to engage the public in other ways, including through The 'Governance of Britain' website and regional events. We have also produced a discussion document, 'A national Framework for Greater Citizen Engagement', which sets out the circumstances in which citizens' juries and summits should be held and invites views on these proposals.

Departmental Public Participation

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the development and running costs of his Department's digital dialogue programme are on promoting interaction between Government and the wider populace via ICT.

Michael Wills: Since December 2005, the Digital Dialogues programme has encouraged Government Departments to explore the use of online technologies to engage the public in the development of policy. The programme cost 80,435 in 2006-07 and 54,000 in 2007-08. Digital Dialogues was designed to run in three phases. At the end of each phase, a report is produced analysing case studies and providing up-to-date good practice guidance. We expect the report from the third stage to be published by the end of summer 2008. More information is available at:
	http://www.digitaldialogues.org.uk
	I am currently considering whether to commission a new phase of Digital Dialogues.

Departmental Public Participation

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding he has allocated to citizens' juries planned to be held in the next six months.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice is not scheduled to hold any citizens' juries in the next six months. We are currently considering the budgeting and procurement of the citizens' summit to consider issues around election day and for the development of a statement of values.

Domestic Violence

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many programmes which work with the perpetrators of domestic violence are in operation in the criminal justice system; how many men have taken part in such programmes in each of the last 10 years; how many men are on waiting lists for such programmes; and what work has been done to develop national standards for perpetrator programmes outside the criminal justice system;
	(2)  how many prisoners have completed the Healthy Relationships programme; how many prisons operate the programme; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the programme.

Jack Straw: There are three programmes which have been accredited by the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel specifically for use with perpetrators of domestic violence. The Community Domestic Violence Programme (CDVP) and the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme (IDAP) are used in the community, and the Healthy Relationships Programme (HRP) in prison. Other programmes have also been accredited by the panel that may be appropriate depending on particular risks and needs.
	The following table sets out the number of new community orders or licences with a requirement to attend an accredited domestic violence programme, the number of offenders who have commenced a programme in the community or completed one in prison since the programmes were introduced.
	
		
			   New orders or licences with a requirement to attend a domestic violence programme( 1)  CDVP/IDAP commencements( 1)  HRP completions by prisoners 
			 2003-04   28 
			 2004-05   30 
			 2005-06 3,425 2,084 57 
			 2006-07 6,200 3,635 60 
			 2007-08 6,479 4,313 82 
			 Total 16,104 10,032 257 
			 (1) The data are based on information provided from probation areas and includes those who specifically receive a domestic violence programme, but not those who were convicted of a domestic violence offence who were sentenced to undertake another intervention. 
		
	
	The numbers awaiting to start a programme on a given day during the year will vary depending on the sentences received, the resources available in the area concerned, matching demand, the individual's circumstances e.g. further court appearance, their motivation, other domestic factors, and possibly an assessment as to whether the programme will meet their risks and needs. There can also be a lead in time while offenders prepare for the courses.
	Offenders waiting for a place on a Domestic Violence programme are under the supervision of their offender manager from the day of sentence. The offender manager will monitor the risk posed by the offender and actively manage it.
	The Home Office has funded a project to ensure perpetrator programmes delivered outside the criminal justice system will also be subject to agreed national standards.
	The Healthy Relationships Programme is now delivered in six establishments. Garth prison has just started delivering the programme. There is an ongoing assessment of prisoners' participation in the programme. As the numbers completing the programme increase further, analysis will be undertaken.
	A process study has been commissioned to look at the delivery of the Healthy Relationships Programme and the Community Domestic Violence and Integrated Domestic Abuse Programmes which will include an examination of the data collected and interviews with staff and programme participants.

Drugs: Misuse

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for ketamine  (a) use and  (b) dealing there have been (i) in Forest of Dean constituency, (ii) in Gloucestershire and (iii) nationally in the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for offences relating to supply of or possession with intent to supply ketamine in Gloucestershire police force area and England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006 can be viewed in the following table.
	There is no offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 for the use of ketamine. It is not possible to identify defendants in the Forest of Dean, convicted for dealing in ketamine as location of offence information is not collected centrally as part of court data.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants found guilty at magistrates' courts for offences relating to supply of or possession with intent to supply ketamine in Gloucestershire police force area and England and Wales for the years 2004 to 2006( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Gloucestershire police force area  England and Wales 
			 2004   
			 2005   
			 2006  4 
			 1 These data are on the principal offence basis. 2 Includes the following statutes and corresponding offence description: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.4(2)(a), 4(2)(b), 4(3)(c ) Supply Ketamineclass C controlled drug Offer to supply Ketamineclass C controlled drug Being concerned in the supply of Ketamineclass C controlled drug Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.5(3) Possess Ketamine with intent to supply - class C controlled drug 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  CJEAUOffice for Criminal Justice ReformMinistry of Justice.

Electoral Commission: Public Appointments

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to carry out a consultation on the proposal to appoint electoral commissioners who have recent party political experience.

Bridget Prentice: The Government White Paper, Party finance and expenditure in the United Kingdom (CM7329), committed the Government to implement the Committee on Standards in Public Life's recommendation to allow the appointment of a minority of Commissioners with recent experience of political life. The Committee's report took into account research and evidence from interested parties, including the Electoral Commission themselves.
	Sir Hayden Phillips' Review of the Funding of Political Parties and the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee also endorsed this recommendation, which the Government intend to implement through the Political Parties and Elections Bill which was introduced to Parliament on 17 July. The passage of the Bill through Parliament will present a further opportunity for Members to consider this proposal.

Electoral Commission: Public Appointments

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to appoint electoral commissioners with recent party political experience.

Bridget Prentice: The White Paper Party finance and expenditure in the United Kingdom (CM7329) committed to legislating to implement the Committee on Standards in Public Life's recommendation to allow the appointment of a minority of Commissioners with recent experience of political life. The Political Parties and Elections Bill, introduced on 17 July, includes a measure to give effect to this commitment.

Fines: Surcharges

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice to how many  (a) community and  (b) custodial sentences a victim's surcharge was applied in 2006-07.

Maria Eagle: None. Powers to levy a surcharge on all criminal sentences and on certain fixed penalty notices were provided in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, the money to be ring-fenced to fund non-financial support services for victims and witnesses. As of 1 April 2007, the victims surcharge has been levied on sentences which include a fine, at a fixed rate of 15. We intend to extend its application to other disposals when that becomes feasible.

Fish Supplies

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much fish was procured by his Department and at what cost in each of the last five years, broken down by species; and what amount and value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species.

Maria Eagle: As the only procurer of food within the Ministry of Justice estate, the only data available are from Her Majesty's Prison Service/National Offender Management Service (NOMS). This is shown in the following tables.
	Price and spend data are commercially in confidence and so will not be released.
	Fish is procured by NOMS supply chain from a variety of sources and figures relating to Marine Stewardship Council Standard are based on available data and cannot be guaranteed.
	Catering services to meet other parts of the Ministry of Justice requirements are contracted out and provided by commercial suppliers. Such data are not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  HMPS/NOMS procurement of fish by volume and varieties 
			  Volume bought (kg) 
			  Fish species  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003 
			 Cod 5,630 12,797 8,543 12,542 14,072 
			 Coley and Hake 570  2,567 2,594 1,311 
			 Haddock 7,084 6,481 13,870 23,947 8,478 
			 Smoked Fish 13,997 16,559 12,773 16,496 13,651 
			 Hoki 73,501 65,633 53,036 39,196 65,559 
			 Whole Fish and Other (incl. snapper, trout and tuna) 20,355 19,871 13,873 4,405 11,462 
			 Plaice 645 2,339 95 150 459 
			 Salmon 7,748 5,116 2,997 3,531 3,721 
			 Lemon Sole 14 407 877 195 41 
			 Breaded and Battered Fish 172,439 164,082 158,152 177,669 126,440 
			 Prawns and Shellfish 7,726 5,687 8,486 2,838j 2,219 
			   
			 Total 311,715 300,978 277,273 285,567 249,414 
		
	
	
		
			  Volume meeting Marine Stewardship Council standard 
			  MSC (percentage that met MSC standard) 
			  Fish species  2007  2006  2005  2004  2003 
			 Cod 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Coley and Hake 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Haddock 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Smoked Fish 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hoki n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Whole Fish and Other (incl. snapper, trout and tuna) (1)50 (1)50 (1)50 (1)50 (1)50 
			 Plaice n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Salmon 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lemon Sole n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Breaded and Battered Fish 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Prawns and Shellfish n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 n/a = data not available. Data are only available for 40 per cent. of the total amount offish ordered by value. (1) Estimate

Gambling: Young People

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were  (a) prosecuted,  (b) fined and  (c) cautioned for offences related to underage gambling in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: Information held by the Ministry of Justice on prosecutions, convictions, defendants sentenced to a fine and offenders cautioned by the police for offences related to under-age gambling between the years of 1997 and 2006 (latest available) are provided in the following table.
	The figures provided relate to persons for whom the offence was the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
	Information for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and sentenced to a fine at all courts and offenders cautioned by the police for offences related to under-age gambling( 1) , England and Wales, 1997 to 2006( 2, 3) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty  Fined  Cautioned 
			 1997 
			 19982 
			 19991 
			 2000 1   3 
			 2001 1 1 1  
			 2002 
			 2003 
			 2004 
			 2005 
			 2006 
			 (1) Includes offences of under-age gambling, allowing under-age gambling and illegal participation in lotteries by persons aged under 18 under the Gaming Act 1968, the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 and the Gambling Act 2005. (2) These data are on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Google: Data Protection

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the likely implications for individuals' right to privacy of the proposal by Google to publish photographs of UK addresses on its Streetview website.

Michael Wills: The ICO have been in discussions with Google over Street view and recognises that privacy safeguards have been put in place. The ICO will continue to monitor developments and work with Google as necessary.
	The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is an independent body created by statute. Its responsibilities include compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.

Human Rights

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what training has been provided to civil servants on  (a) human rights and  (b) the Convention on the Rights of the Child in each of the last five years.

Michael Wills: Responsibility for training of civil servants lies with individual Departments. Since 2000, the Ministry of Justice, and before it the Department of Constitutional Affairs and the Lord Chancellor's Department, have provided guidance on human rights and the Human Rights Act to other Departments to inform the training they give to their officials. Raising Awareness of Human Rights, an electronic training package for public officials is also available to all civil servants via the website of the National School for Government. There is no specific programme of training for civil servants on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Information Commissioner: Secondment

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 64-65W, on the Information Commissioner, what safeguards apply to secondees from Government departments to the Information Commissioner's Office to ensure they may not handle appeals relating to their departments.

Michael Wills: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is an independent body created by statute. Its responsibilities include handling complaints made under the Data Protection Act 1998, Freedom of Information Act 2000, Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
	There is a clear process in place at the ICO for ensuring that individuals seconded to the ICO will not handle complaints from their own Department. A line manager who works for the ICO will allocate freedom of information complaints to the secondees from Government Departments who will be working at the ICO. The line manager will ensure that the secondees do not handle complaints involving their home Department. A permanent member of the ICO's staff will oversee the work of secondees and in conjunction with the ICO policy team will ensure consistency. Secondees will not be authorised to sign decision notices. Only senior established ICO employees can sign notices.

International Law

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Ministers have represented the UK in state party examinations by UN treaty monitoring bodies in each of the last five years.

Michael Wills: The only occasion in the last five years on which a Minister has represented the United Kingdom at an examination by a UN treaty monitoring body was on 10 July 2008, when my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Women and Equality (Barbara Follett) led the UK delegation for the examination by the Committee for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. On all other occasions the United Kingdom has been represented by a senior official.

Juries: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish his response to the consultation on bilingual juries in Wales.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice will make a statement on bilingual juries shortly.

Magistrates: Ethnic Groups

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of magistrates in England and Wales were from an ethnic minority background in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 1997.

Jack Straw: In  (a) 2007, 2,065 magistrates (6.9 per cent.) out of a total of 29,816 magistrates were from an ethnic minority background at the financial year ending 31 March 2007.
	Figures for 1997 are not available.

Magistrates: Females

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of magistrates in England and Wales were women in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 1997.

Jack Straw: The information is as follows:
	In  (a) 2007, 14,809 magistrates (49.7 per cent.) out of a total of 29,816 were women at the financial year ending 31 March 2007.
	In  (b) 1997, 14,516 magistrates (47.8 per cent.) out of a total of 30,374 were women at the calendar year ending 31 December 1997.

Mentally Disturbed Offenders

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure that a person subjected to a hospital order is not moved to a hospital near to his or her victims without there being  (a) consultation with and  (b) notification to those victims or their families.

Maria Eagle: We have enhanced the rights of victims to information, where the offender is sentenced by way of a restricted hospital order, in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Those rights will be extended to cases where the offender receives an unrestricted hospital order by amendments in the Mental Health Act 2007, due to be implemented in November.
	The statutory rights do not extend explicitly to transfers of offenders between hospitals. However, where the offender is restricted, officials in the National Offender Management Service will usually exercise the Secretary of State's delegated powers to give victims basic information, to reassure them of steps being taken for their protection, and will seek to avoid transfers to hospitals where victims may be adversely affected.

Mentally Disturbed Offenders

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will review the rights of victims and their families to be consulted prior to a person who has been convicted of an offence and made subject to a hospital order being moved to another institution.

Maria Eagle: We have enhanced the rights of victims to information, where the offender is sentenced by way of a restricted hospital order, in the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Those rights will be extended to cases where the offender receives an unrestricted hospital order by amendments in the Mental Health Act 2007, due to be implemented in November.
	There is no explicit right for victims to be consulted before a detained patient is moved between hospitals. But victim liaison officers will work with victims who wish to be kept informed, and will ensure that they are given information necessary to reassure them about measures taken for their protection.

National Identity

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the planned timetable for the development of a British statement of values is;
	(2)  what progress has been made in the development of a framework for a public engagement process to develop a British statement of values.

Michael Wills: We are currently finalising a process of engagement to inform the debate on the statement of values. This will involve a series of events around the country, a programme of online engagement and a range of discussion pieces. The process will culminate in a citizens' summita broadly representative sample of the British people who will be asked to develop the framework for the statement of values and make recommendations on its uses. We expect to make an announcement in the autumn.

National Identity

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been spent on consultative exercises and initiatives in relation to the development of a British statement of values, broken down by event.

Michael Wills: A series of events to support The Governance of Britain programme, including discussion on national identity and the statement of values, is currently under way. Final costs will be available once the events are complete. We have also undertaken some work with consultants to support development of the engagement process on the statement of values. This has been provided at a cost of 5,000.

Offenders

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in respect of how many defendants remanded in custody on indictable-only matters had proceedings been terminated prior to arraignment or no evidence offered in each of the last five years; and how long on average each such defendant was detained in custody.

Maria Eagle: In order to answer this question, it will be necessary to undertake a detailed analysis' of historic Crown court case data. It will not be possible to complete this work before the start of the summer recess. However, I will write to the hon. Lady with the relevant information as soon as it is available.

Offensive Weapons: Sentencing

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people aged  (a) under 16,  (b) between 16 and 18 and  (c) over 18 years were convicted of possession of a knife in each of the last 10 years; what percentage received custodial sentences; and what the average length of a custodial sentence was in each year.

Jack Straw: The requested information is contained in the following tables.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  Number of persons sentenced( 1) , given immediate custody and average custodial sentence length( 2)  for possession of a knife or an offensive weapon( 3) , all courts, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006 
			  Number of persons and average length of sentence (months) 
			  Offence description  Year  Total sentenced  Immediate custody  Percentage total sentenced  Average custodial sentence length( 2) 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 1997 159 4 2.5 2.2 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  153 1 0.7 3.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  3
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  1
			  Total all above offences  316 5 1.6 2.4 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 1998 203 3 1.5 3.1 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  184 3 1.6 5.7 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  5
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  5
			  Total all above offences  397 6 1.5 4.4 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 1999 202 5 2.5 2.6 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  184 5 2.7 3.2 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  3
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  9
			  Total all above offences  398 10 2.5 2.9 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2000 288 7 2.4 6.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  264 7 2.7 3.7 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  10
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  3
			  Total all above offences  565 14 2.5 4.9 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2001 365 14 3.8 4.3 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  328 10 3.0 5.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  10
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  9
			  Total all above offences  712 24 3.4 4.6 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2002 303 17 5.6 7.2 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  345 13 3.8 5.1 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  15
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  9 1 11.1 6.0 
			  Total all above offences  672 31 4.6 6.3 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2003 299 12 4.0 4.5 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  304 13 4.3 5.7 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  19
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  6
			  Total all above offences  628 25 4.0 5.1 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2004 348 14 4.0 6.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  374 8 2.1 5.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  26
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  14
			  Total all above offences  762 22 2.9 5.6 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2005 311 11 3.5 4.5 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  396 15 3.8 5.5 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  22
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  19
			  Total all above offences  748 26 3.5 5.1 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2006 373 14 3.8 6.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  450 18 4.0 5.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  27
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  27
			  Total all above offences  877 32 3.6 5.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of persons and average length of sentence (months) 
			Aged 16-18 
			  Offence description  Year  Total sentenced  Immediate custody  Percentage total sentenced  Average custodial sentence length( 2) 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 1997 801 40 5.0 2.7 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  561 37 6.6 2.5 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  4 1 25.0 2.0 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  3 2 66.7 25.0 
			  Total all above offences  1,369 80 5.8 3.1 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 1998 829 60 7.2 2.8 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  596 49 8.2 2.5 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  4
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  4 1 25.0 3.0 
			   
			  Total all above offences  1,433 110 7.7 2.7 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 1999 817 74 9.1 3.8 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  580 48 8.3 2.7 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  4
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  
			  Total all above offences  1,401 122 8.7 3.4 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2000 863 72 8.3 4.4 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  634 45 7.1 3.3 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  11 2 18.2 13.0 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  3
			  Total all above offences  1,511 119 7.9 4.1 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2001 1,136 93 8.2 4.4 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  932 57 6.1 3.5 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  18 1 5.6 6.0 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  4
			  Total all above offences  2,090 151 7.2 4.1 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2002 1,172 107 9.1 5.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  955 65 6.8 4.2 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  12
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  6 1 16.7 4.0 
			  Total all above offences  2,145 173 8.1 4.7 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2003 1,074 77 7.2 5.4 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  906 60 6.6 4.1 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  15
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  4
			  Total all above offences  1,999 137 6.9 4.8 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2004 1,258 71 5.6 4.5 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  978 74 7.6 3.8 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  25 4 16.0 2.4 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  6 2 33.3 4.0 
			  Total all above offences  2,267 151 6.7 4.1 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2005 1,268 113 8.9 4.9 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  1,021 78 7.6 4.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  12 1 8.3 3.0 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  6
			  Total all above offences  2,307 192 8.3 4.5 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2006 1,257 100 8.0 4.8 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  1,131 93 8.2 4.5 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  7
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  6
			  Total all above offences  2,401 193 8.0 4.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of persons and average length of sentence (months) 
			Aged over 18 
			  Offence description  Year  Total sentenced  Immediate custody  Percentage total sentenced  Average custodial sentence length( 2) 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 1997 3,170 465 14.7 4.3 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  2,627 334 12.7 2.4 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  12 2 16.7 2.5 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  15 2 13.3 2.5 
			  Total all above offences  5,824 803 13.8 3.5 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 1998 3,343 522 15.6 3.8 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  3,008 498 16.6 2.6 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  7
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  11 4 36.4 8.2 
			  Total all above offences  6,369 1,024 16.1 3.3 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 1999 3,116 475 15.2 4.1 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  2,784 481 17.3 2.6 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  9 2 22.2 2.2 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  11 3 27.3 19.0 
			  Total all above offences  5,920 961 16.2 3.4 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2000 2,957 516 17.5 3.9 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  2,620 447 17.1 2.6 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  23 5 21.7 2.7 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  12 6 50.0 6.8 
			  Total all above offences  5,612 974 17.4 3.3 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2001 3,372 527 15.6 3.8 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  3,043 522 17.2 2.6 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  33 2 6.1 4.0 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  6 3 50.0 3.3 
			  Total all above offences  6,454 1,054 16.3 3.2 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2002 3,966 663 16.7 4.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  3,969 688 17.3 2.8 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  30 7 23.3 2.1 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  6 3 50.0 6.0 
			  Total all above offences  7,971 1,361 17.1 3.4 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2003 4,021 671 16.7 4.3 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  4,101 682 16.6 2.8 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  54 6 11.1 2.9 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  11 4 36.4 12.0 
			  Total all above offences  8,187 1,363 16.6 3.6 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2004 4,152 732 17.6 4.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  4,450 721 16.2 2.9 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  55 8 14.5 2.0 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  13 2 15.4 9.0 
			  Total all above offences  8,670 1,463 16.9 3.4 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2005 4,110 705 17.2 4.3 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  4,540 872 19.2 3.1 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  11 4 36.4 5.8 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  5 3 60.0 5.0 
			  Total all above offences  8,666 1,584 18.3 3.7 
			   
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2006 4,000 674 16.9 5.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  4,703 959 20.4 7.6 
			 Having an article with a blade or point on school premises  16 5 31.3 5.3 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises  7 3 42.9  
			  Total all above offences  8,726 1,641 18.8 4.0 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Months. Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (3) Will include knives, but information collected centrally does not provide a distinction between them and other offensive weapons.  Notes: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services

Offensive Weapons: Sentencing

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of people aged  (a) under 16,  (b) between 16 and 18 and  (c) over 18 years who were convicted of possession of a knife in each of the last 10 years received a fine; and what the (i) average, (ii) smallest and (iii) largest fine in each year was.

Jack Straw: The requested information is contained in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008. In 2006, around 11 per cent. received a fine, 47 per cent. community order and 17 per cent. custody.
	
		
			  Under 16  Aged 16 to 18  Aged 18 and over 
			   Number sentenced  Number fined  Proportion fined (% )  Average  ()  Smalles t ()  Larges t ()  Average  ()  Smallest  ()  Largest  ()  Average  ()  Smallest  ()  Largest  () 
			 1997 3,360 1,181 35 45 10 100 85 10 500 109 10 1,000 
			 1998 3,804 1,187 31 38 10 75 97 10 500 110 10 1,500 
			 1999 3,564 1,032 29 28 10 50 83 5 700 114 10 1,000 
			 2000 3,562 996 28 50 10 100 83 10 500 112 10 600 
			 2001 4,364 1,164 27 47 10 200 84 10 600 116 10 3,100 
			 2002 5,326 1,356 25 48 10 150 85 1 500 114 10 1,000 
			 2003 5,399 1,289 24 55 10 150 90 20 250 128 10 2,500 
			 2004 5,908 1,148 19 40 10 100 92 20 300 138 1 1,250 
			 2005 6,002 953 16 37 20 50 93 20 350 138 10 1,500 
			 2006 6,334 691 11 57 5 100 123 10 750 153 20 3,500 
		
	
	The independent Sentencing Guidelines Council's Magistrates Court Sentencing Guidelines for possession of a bladed article (to be implemented on 4 August 2008) states that if the bladed weapon is not used to threaten or cause fear the recommended starting point is a high level community order. If there are mitigating or aggravating circumstances, the guideline suggests a range of a Band C fine (125 to 175 per cent. of weekly income) to 12 weeks custody. Where the weapon was not used to threaten or cause fear but the offence was committed in dangerous circumstances, the suggested starting point is six weeks custody, with a range of a high level community order to referral to the Crown Court. Where the weapon was used to threaten or cause fear and the offence was committed in dangerous circumstances the guideline states that the case should be allocated to the Crown Court.

Offensive Weapons: Yorkshire and the Humber

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what average sentence was imposed for knife crimes in North Yorkshire in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: Information on the numbers given an immediate custodial sentence and the average custodial sentence length in North Yorkshire for possession of a knife or possession of an offensive weapon (which may include knives) is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Average length of immediate custodial sentence( 1)  for possession of a knife or offensive weapon, all courts, North Yorkshire, 2002-06 
			  Number of persons and average length of sentence (months)( 2) 
			  Offence description  Year  Immediate custody  Average custodial sentence length 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2002 6 4.1 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  4 4.0 
			 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2003 9 4.5 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  5 2.0 
			 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2004 4 4.8 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  6 3.5 
			 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2005 5 7.5 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  8 4.8 
			 
			 Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 2006 4 16.0 
			 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place  9 6.3 
			 (1) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (2) These average values are based on a very small number of cases.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services 
		
	
	The Courts Proceedings Database from which this information is drawn does not identify separately the circumstances of an offence in which a knife was used. These offences are included in other offences of violence against the person (e.g. grievous bodily harm).

Offensive Weapons: Yorkshire and the Humber

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there were for knife crimes in North Yorkshire in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: Information on convictions for knife possession offences covering the years 2002 to 2006 (latest available) is provided in the following table.
	There will have been other offences such as grievous or actual bodily harm or violent disorder where knives were used. However, the information held by the Ministry of Justice on court proceedings does not contain information about the circumstances behind each case, beyond the description provided in the statute under which prosecutions are brought.
	The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for 'knife possession offences'( 1 ) in North Yorkshire police force area, 2002-06( 2,3) 
			   Found guilty 
			 2002 52 
			 2003 50 
			 2004 69 
			 2005 66 
			 2006 57 
			 (1) Includes the offences ofPossession of a knife or bladed article in a public place and Possession of a knife or bladed article on school premises (2) These data are on the principal offence basis. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Court proceedings databaseCriminal Justice Evidence and AnalysisOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Official Secrets: Photography

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there were for the offence of photography contrary to section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: Information on court proceedings held by the Ministry of Justice for the period 2002 to 2006 (latest available) shows that there was one prosecution and one conviction under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 in 2002. The information reported to the Ministry of Justice does not include the individual circumstances of offences, therefore it is not possible to identify whether the photography was involved in the offences committed.
	The figures relate to persons for whom the offence was the principal offence for which each person was dealt with. When a defendant has been proceeded against for two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Parole Board

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of cases the Parole Board will deal with in each of the next 10 years.

David Hanson: The Parole Board's caseload projections for the period 2008-09 to 2009-10 are listed in the following table. Longer term projections are the subject of review following the implementation of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 which will impact on the number of cases referred to the Parole Board.
	
		
			  Type of case  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Determinate sentence prisoners 4,700 3,350 
			 Indeterminate sentence prisoners 4,050 5,500 
			 Determinate recalls (paper) 13,400 13,300 
			 Determinate recalls (oral) 1,200 (1)1,000 
			 Total 27,400 23,150 
			 (1) Estimated until impact of Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 is known.

Parole Board: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many caseworkers were employed by the Parole Board in  (a) Leeds West constituency and  (b) Leeds Metropolitan District to deal with (i) oral and (ii) written hearings in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: I am advised by the Parole Board that they do not employ any caseworkers in Leeds. All caseworkers are based at the board's London office apart from one who is based in Nottingham. Information on the number of caseworkers employed to deal with oral and paper hearings is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			  (i) Number of caseworkers on oral hearings 
			   Permanent  Temp/Agency 
			 2004-05 23 2 
			 2005-06 27 4 
			 2006-07 29 1 
			 2007-08 29 5 
			 2008-09 24 7 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) Number of caseworkers on paper hearings 
			   Permanent  Temp/Agency 
			 2004-05 16 1 
			 2005-06 13 5 
			 2006-07 11 8 
			 2007-08 15 6 
			 2008-09 13 4

Police Custody

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are being held in police cells; at what cost; and how many have been so held in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) each police force area in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: Prison population figures are published every Friday. The total prison population for England and Wales on Friday 18 July was 83,610 which included 47 prisoners held in police accommodation under Operation Safeguard. The estimated average cost of a place in a police cell under Operation Safeguard is about 385 per night.
	The average number of prisoners held each night under Operation Safeguard in 2006, 2007 and 2008 (January to June) based on end month figures was 23,181 and 93 respectively.
	Operation Safeguard was activated between 12 October and 22 December 2006 and again from 16 January 2007 to date. The following table covers these periods up to the night of Thursday/Friday 10-11 July and gives the aggregate total of the number of prisoner nights in which a police cell was used during each year shown. It is not possible to ascertain how many individual prisoners these totals cover.
	
		
			  Aggregate number of prisoner nights in police cells 
			  Police force  2006  2007  2008( 1) 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 132 35 
			 Bedfordshire 0 414 82 
			 Cambridgeshire 212 1,262 330 
			 Cheshire 103 4,437 1,153 
			 Cleveland 0 4 0 
			 Cumbria 0 351 89 
			 Derbyshire 113 454 189 
			 Devon and Cornwall 38 1,995 432 
			 Dorset 71 379 75 
			 Durham 42 1,226 284 
			 Dyfed Powys 1 682 0 
			 Essex 1,009 4,387 483 
			 Gloucestershire 0 17 1 
			 Greater Manchester 15 3,086 611 
			 Gwent 0 962 0 
			 Hampshire 65 1,555 337 
			 Hertfordshire 40 1,216 317 
			 Humberside 0 81 30 
			 Kent 335 3,654 961 
			 Lancashire 0 1,802 174 
			 Leicestershire 0 2,970 504 
			 Lincolnshire 165 1,569 2 
			 Merseyside 196 170 43 
			 Metropolitan 333 10,740 3,472 
			 Norfolk 0 20 12 
			 North Wales 14 1,785 376 
			 North Yorkshire 0 39 20 
			 Northamptonshire 219 1,232 43 
			 Northumbria 0 1,242 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 187 34 
			 South Wales 81 1,401 486 
			 South Yorkshire 0 1,015 179 
			 Staffordshire 0 2 58 
			 Suffolk 83 1,171 279 
			 Surrey 0 107 9 
			 Sussex 338 262 83 
			 Thames Valley 433 2,727 594 
			 Warwickshire 93 1,191 535 
			 West Mercia 0 63 0 
			 West Midlands 570 6,959 671 
			 West Yorkshire 45 3,672 740 
			 Wiltshire 0 91 6 
			 Total 4,614 66,711 13,729 
			 (1) To 10-11 July.

Prison Sentences

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are serving indeterminate sentences for public protection.

David Hanson: At the end of May 2008 there were 4,350 prisoners in all prison establishments in England and Wales serving indeterminate sentences for public protection.
	This figure has been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing, and so the number has been rounded.

Prisoners Release

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders serving indeterminate sentences for public protection are being held beyond the expiry of their tariff.

Jack Straw: The database created to support the management of offenders serving indeterminate sentences of imprisonment for public protection indicated on 15 July 2008 that, for those where there is a confirmed recorded tariff date, 794 had tariffs which have expired.
	The database is necessarily a large administrative system tracking a changing and moving population and therefore may not be 100 per cent. accurate. It is updated at intervals rather than being a real time record.

Prisoners Release

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were released on temporary licence in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: Records are not held of the number of prisoners granted temporary release. The number of temporary release licences issued in each year since 1997 from all prison establishments in England and Wales can be found in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of temporary release licences issued 
			 1997 227,078 
			 1998 255,886 
			 1999 256,179 
			 2000 256,838 
			 2001 270,122 
			 2002 287,732 
			 2003 328,777 
			 2004 389,548 
			 2005 405,259 
			 2006 400,238 
		
	
	These figures are taken from table 10.6 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2006 copies of which can be found in the House of Commons Library. The data above are the total of all individual licences issued. Some prisoners will be granted temporary release on a number of occasions and so will be issued with multiple licences over the course of a year.
	Release on temporary licence is the mechanism that enables prisoners to participate in necessary activities, outside of the prison establishment, that directly contribute to their resettlement into the community and their development of a purposeful law abiding life. Prisoners are not granted temporary release unless they meet the eligibility criteria and pass a stringent risk assessment.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners Release: Employment

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what schemes are in place in Leeds to assist prisoners in getting employment upon release; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service is committed to increasing job opportunities and employment for prisoners on release. There are a currently a number of such schemes in Leeds including services provided by the West Yorkshire Probation Area and Department for Work and Pensions. At HMP Leeds itself a range of schemes are available to help prisoners into work including Jobcentre plus, a job club, a job linkto help retain employment for offenders with short sentences; annual job fairs and a range of vocational qualifications and preparation for work training programmes.

Prisoners: Childbirth

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many women gave birth to children while serving a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (a) age of the mother and  (b) prison establishment.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service has only routinely kept information centrally on births in custody since April 2005. Figures prior to this date are not available.
	The number of women that have given birth to children while serving a custodial sentence since April 2005 are as follows:
	
		
			  April 2005 to March 2006( 1) 
			   Age of Prisoners 
			  Establishment  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32 
			 HMP/YOI Askham Grange1
			 HMP Brockhill 11   1
			 HMP Bronzefield1 1  1 2 3 2 42 
			 HMP Bullwood Hall 1  1 
			 HMP/YOI Eastwood Park 2   2 1 1 2 
			 HMP Holloway 1 2 3 2 3 3 2 2 2  1  1  2 
			 Low Newton 1   
			 HMP New Hall 2 1 1 1 4 1   3   
			 HMP Peterborough 2 1   1   
			 HMP Styal 111  2 1  1  
		
	
	
		
			   Age of Prisoners 
			  Establishment  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47 
			 HMP/YOI Askham Grange
			 HMP Brockhill
			 HMP Bronzefield 1 1 1   1 1 
			 HMP Bullwood Hall
			 HMP/YOI Eastwood Park 1 1 1 1
			 HMP Holloway 2 1 1 
			 Low Newton  1  
			 HMP New Hall
			 HMP Peterborough
			 HMP Styal 2  2 1   1 
			 (1) Total of 106 women gave birth.  Note: Age of three mothers were not recorded at HMP Styal. 
		
	
	
		
			  April 2006  to March 20 07( 1) 
			   Age of Prisoners 
			  Establishment  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32 
			 HMP/YOI Askham Grange   11  1   
			 HMP Bronzefield   1 
			 HMP Downview
			 HMP/YOI Eastwood Park   1 
			 Low Newton
			 HMP New Hall1
			 HMP Peterborough2
			 HMP Styal  2  1
		
	
	
		
			   Age of Prisoners 
			  Establishment  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47 
			 HMP/YOI Askham Grange
			 HMP Bronzefield   1   1 1 
			 HMP Downview 1   1
			 HMP/YOI Eastwood Park  11  
			 Low Newton 1   
			 HMP New Hall
			 HMP Peterborough
			 HMP Styal  11  
			 (1) Total of 26 women gave birth.  Note: Age of five mothers were not recorded at HMP Styal. 
		
	
	
		
			  April 2007  to March 20 08( 1) 
			   Age of Prisoners 
			  Establishment  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32 
			 HMP/YOI Askham Grange1  1  1  1 1 
			 HMP Bronzefield   1 1 2 3 1 2  1   4 1 2 
			 HMP/YOI Eastwood Park 2 1 2 6  3 1 1 2  1 1 1 3 1 
			 HMP Holloway 1 1 1  1 1 2 1  3 1   3 2 
			 HMP New Hall   1   1  
			 HMP Peterborough  1  14   1   1 1 
			 HMP Styal 1  1  2 3 3 
		
	
	
		
			   Age of Prisoners 
			  Establishment  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47 
			 HMP/YOI Askham Grange
			 HMP Brockhill
			 HMP Bronzefield  1 1 2
			 HMP Bullwood Hall
			 HMP/YOI Eastwood Park
			 HMP Holloway  1  1   1 1   1 
			 HMP New Hall1
			 HMP Peterborough
			 HMP Styal  2  
			 (1) Total of 99 women gave birth. 
		
	
	
		
			  April 2008 to3 July  20 08( 1) 
			   Age of Prisoners 
			  Establishment  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31  32 
			 HMP/YOI Askham Grange11
			 HMP Bronzefield2  2 1 
			 HMP Foston Hall
			 HMP Holloway  1 2 2 2  1 1
			 Low Newton 1 1  
			 HMP New Hall 2  2 2  1 1 
			 HMP Peterborough  1 1   1  
			 HMP Styal  2   1   1  2  
		
	
	
		
			   Age of Prisoners 
			  Establishment  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45  46  47 
			 HMP/YOI Askham Grange
			 HMP Bronzefield
			 HMP Foston Hall 1   
			 HMP Holloway1
			 Low Newton 1   
			 HMP New Hall 22 1  
			 HMP Peterborough  21  
			 HMP Styal  1  
			 (1) Total of 49 women gave birth. 
		
	
	continued

Prisoners: HIV Infection

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost was of conducting the most recent Public Health Laboratory Service survey into HIV and hepatitis rates in prisons.

Maria Eagle: The last Public Health Laboratory Service study of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C prevalence in prisoners in England and Wales was conducted in 1997 and 1998. The cost to the Home Office at that time is not available.

Prisoners: Restraint Techniques

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) injuries requiring hospital treatment and  (b) other injuries have been sustained as a result of the use of control and restraint techniques in each of the last five years, broken down by prison establishment;
	(2)  how many times control and restraint techniques have been used on adult prisoners in each of the last five years, broken down by prison establishment.

David Hanson: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and is not available centrally.

Prisons: Capacity

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what spare capacity was in prisons at the most recently available date; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I have responsibility for prisons in England and Wales. Prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Scottish Executive and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.
	Prison population figures are published every Friday. The total prison population for England and Wales on Friday 18 July was 83,610. This included 47 prisoners held in police accommodation under Operation Safeguard. The total useable operational capacity for England and Wales on 18 July was 83,870 including 400 places through Operation Safeguard. Useable operational capacity is the total number of prisoners that the estate can readily be expected to hold. It assumes an operating margin of 2,000 places to ensure prisoners can be managed by sex, risk category, conviction status, individual needs assessments and geographical distribution.
	Prison capacity continues to expand as new places are brought into use.

Prisons: Mental Health Services

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons have a specialist mental health facility; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: 102 prisons have in-reach teams that provide a range of services to meet the assessed needs of prisoners. PCTs are responsible for commissioning these services. Information about the facilities in which these services are provided is not held centrally. Prisoners who are severely mentally ill are transferred to appropriate hospital accommodation under the Mental Health Act. Treatment under the Mental Health Act cannot take place in prisons.
	There is provision for the treatment of Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) in DSPD high secure units at HMP Frankland, HMP Whitemoor, and HMP Low Newton; and particular emotional or psychological needs in Therapeutic Communities at HMP Blundeston, HMP Dovegate, HMP Gartree, HMP Grendon and HMP Send.

Prisons: Offensive Weapons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will introduce proposals to amend the target regime affecting the Prison Service to incentivise  (a) the prevention of knives and offensive weapons entering prison premises and  (b) the identification and confiscation of any knives and offensive weapons found on prison premises during searches.

Jack Straw: Establishments deploy a comprehensive range of robust searching techniques and security measures to detect both weapons being smuggled into prisons and those that may already be concealed in the establishment. Such measures include the rub down and full searching of prisoners, staff and visitors, as appropriate; the use of technical devices, such as metal detectors and x-ray machines; CCTV surveillance and, more recently, use of the bodily orifice security scanner. Routine and intelligence-led searching of living accommodation and communal areas is also widely deployed.
	Weapons found within prisons will be seized. A prisoner found in possession of a weapon will be subject to internal disciplinary proceedings and possible prosecution. The conveying of an offensive weapon into or out of a prison, or the passing of a weapon to a prisoner, is a criminal offence which can attract a sentence of up to 10 years and/or an unlimited fine.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are in cells intended for  (a) one and  (b) two fewer people than are in the cell.

Jack Straw: During 2007-08, 19,321 prisoners were doubled in cells certified to hold one person and 1,161 prisoners were held three to a cell certified for two people.

Prisons: Telephone Services

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to conduct a review of the cost of telephone calls from prisons.

David Hanson: There are currently no plans to conduct a review of the cost of telephones calls made from prisons. The National Offender Management Service continues to discuss the cost of calls with the providers but they are not contractually obliged to reduce the cost. To do this without their agreement would require a large subsidy from the taxpayer. The current contract is in place until 2011 and the re-tendering project will commence this year. Reasonable call prices for prisoners will form part of the requirements of the new contract. However, we are implementing reductions for some international calls as part of an extension to a contract with a third party supplier.

Prisons: Waste Management

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance he provides to prisons on reducing waste from the meals they provide.

Maria Eagle: It is the policy of the National Offender Management Service not to waste food.
	Prison Service Order 5000 (Prison Catering Services) provides staff with guidance on food waste including a number of practical measures and management actions necessary to keep waste to a minimum. These include the use of pre-select menus and portion control.

Rape: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of reported rape cases in Leeds resulted in convictions in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Eagle: The Home Office collects crime statistics on the number of rape offences recorded by the police in the Leeds crime and disorder reduction partnership (CDRP) area. Rape data at CDRP level are only available from 2001-02 and are shown in table 1.
	Police recorded crime (notifiable) data and court proceedings data are not directly comparable. Recorded crime data, published on a financial year basis, concentrates on the number of offences and detections, whereas court proceedings data are published on a calendar year basis and concentrates on defendants.
	The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for rape offences in West Yorkshire police force area for the years 1997 to 2006 can be viewed in table 2.
	From the court proceedings database held by the Ministry of Justice, it is not possible to identify the location of offences, as the data are not collected at this level of detail. Thus West Yorkshire police force area data have been provided in lieu.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.
	
		
			  Recorded rapes in the Leeds crime and disorder reduction partnership area 
			  Financial year  Number of offences 
			 2001-02 178 
			 2002-03 177 
			 2003-04 227 
			 2004-05 181 
			 2005-06 225 
			 2006-07 237 
			 2007-08 224 
			  Source: Recorded Crime Section, Home Office. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for rape offences in West Yorkshire police force area, 1997 to 2006( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Found guilty 
			 1997 23 
			 1998 43 
			 1999 41 
			 2000 38 
			 2001 21 
			 2002 15 
			 2003 30 
			 2004 48 
			 2005 48 
			 2006 37 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Includes the following statutes and corresponding offence description: Sexual Offences Act 1956 S.1 Rape Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1 Rape of a female aged under 16. Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1 Rape of a female aged 16 or over. Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1 Rape of a male aged under 16. Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.1 Rape of a male aged 16 or over Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.5 Rape of a female child under 13 by a male Sexual Offences Act 2003 S.5 Rape of a male child under 13 by a male 
			 (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: CJEAUOffice for Criminal Justice ReformMinistry of Justice.

Reoffenders

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of defendants released early under the end of custody licence scheme have re-offended during their additional early release period.

Jack Straw: All defendants released under the end of custody scheme are sentenced offenders.
	The available information on numbers of offenders released on ECL and those recalled because of alleged re-offending is published monthly, in the statistical bulletin End of Custody Licence releases and recalls, available from the Library of the House and the Ministry of Justice website at the following address:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm
	(The same publication includes details of the eligibility criteria for offenders released under the scheme).
	There were 402 individuals alleged to have committed offences during their period of ECL, notified to NOMS Public Protection Unit, for the period 29 June 2007 to 31 May 2008. This represents 1 per cent. of the total number of offenders released under the scheme for the same period, 28,879.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Road Traffic Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females were convicted of offences in England and Wales under sections (i) 14(3), (ii) 15(2) and (iii) 15(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1998 in (A) 2005 and (B) 2006;
	(2)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) 17 to 24, (ii) 25 to 30, (iii) 31 to 35, (iv) 36 to 40 and (v) over 40 years were (A) prosecuted and (B) convicted of (1) failing to comply with a road sign, (2) offences under sections (x) 14(3), (y) 15(2) and (z) 15(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1998, (3) failing to provide a breath specimen for analysis, (4) failing to stop for a police constable and (5) disobeying a police constable stopping traffic in (aa) Essex Police area and (bb) Southend Police area in (AA) 2005 and (BB) 2006.

Maria Eagle: Available data for Essex police force area and England and Wales for the offences requested, for 2005 and 2006 are contained in tables which have been placed in the Library. It is not possible to identify convictions in Southend Police area as the data are not collected at this level of detail by the Ministry of Justice.
	The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Information for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.

Secure Training Centres: Restraint Techniques

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish the review of restraint in juvenile secure settings.

David Hanson: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble) on 15 July 2008,  Official Report, column 367W.
	The Government are giving careful consideration to the recommendations of the chairs of the independent review of restraint in juvenile secure settings, Andrew Williamson and Peter Smallridge. We intend to publish the chairs' full report alongside our response to its recommendations by the end of October.

Supreme Court

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) original and  (b) current expected opening date of the new Supreme Court building is.

Jack Straw: The initial planned opening date for the Supreme Court was October 2008. This was reviewed once detailed survey work and planning conditions were finalised. The amount of work required and the quality of refurbishment necessary would not have been possible in that time-frame. It was announced in March 2006 that the Supreme Court would therefore open in October 2009 to ensure there would be no encroachment into judicial hearing time.
	The revised schedule of works allows sufficient time to complete a high-quality refurbishment of a historic listed building and deliver a world-class organisation that properly meets the expectations of the public, the Law Lords, the legal profession and court users. The programme is on target to deliver this in October 2009.

Supreme Court: Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his most recent estimate is of the  (a) capital and  (b) annual running costs of the Supreme Court.

Jack Straw: Following my announcement of 3 July on unforeseen building repair costs, the estimated cost of delivering a Supreme Court for the United Kingdom will be approximately 60 million. The programme is running on time to open the court in October 2009. The establishment of the Supreme Court will see the highest Court of Appeal for the United Kingdom being visibly independent from Parliament. It will be the final court of appeal for all nations of the United Kingdom. We estimate that annual running costs for the Supreme Court will be 12.3 million, based on 2010-11 expected prices.

Written Questions: Government Responses

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to answer Question 172523, on the Operation of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906, tabled on 4th December 2007 by the hon. Member for Southend West; what the reason for the delay in replying is; what steps he has (a) taken and (b) plans to take to answer written Parliamentary Questions within a working week of them being tabled; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The question was transferred to the Solicitor General on 6 December 2007. The Ministry of Justice's Parliamentary Branch wrote to the Honourable Member on that day informing him of the transfer.

Young Offenders

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders there are in  (a) young offender institutions,  (b) secure training centres and  (c) secure children's homes, broken down by age.

David Hanson: The following table, which contains information provided by the Youth Justice Board, shows the number of sentenced or remanded children and young people held in young offender institutions, secure training centres and secure children's homes, broken down by age, as at 30 June 2008.
	
		
			   Age 
			  Establishment type  12  13  14  15  16  17 
			 YOI 0 0 0 295 772 1,543 
			 STC 0 2 68 82 77 30 
			 SCH 4 30 81 58 34 6 
			 Total 4 32 149 435 883 1,579

Young Offenders: Custodial Treatment

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of young offenders who breached the terms of a community order received a custodial sentence as a result in the last three years.

David Hanson: This question cannot be answered at this time due to issues of data quality regarding the breach data on the court proceedings database. Data quality checks have shown large variations in the provisions of breach data from the police forces and the courts, rendering the data unsuitable for publication, as such, it was withdrawn from publication in 2004. The sentencing statistics team will not publish statistics on breaches until significant improvements have been made to the submission of data to the Ministry of Justice. At present data quality work is underway to look at improving the data to a standard fit for publication.

Young Offenders: Custodial Treatment

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate has been made of the average length of time taken to transfer money between young offender institutions when young people are transferred; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: While no specific assessment has been made of the length of time taken to transfer money between young offender institutions, the timings are dependant on where the offender is transferring to and from. For example, if the money being transferred is between public prisons, then it is processed as an electronic transfer and will be actioned overnight. When a transfer takes place to other types of establishments such as contracted-out prisons or immigration detention centres (for those over 18), the money would be transferred by cheque which would be subject to the normal cheque clearing process operated by the banking system.

Young Offenders: Housing

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy that every child leaving custody receives effective support, including the provision of appropriate housing.

David Hanson: We are clear that all young people leaving custody should receive the support they need to stop them from re-offending. The Youth Crime Action Plan, which we published on 15 July, sets out proposals to develop a comprehensive package of support for children leaving custody which we will develop through consultation. This includes ensuring that young people have access to appropriate education, health and housing.
	We will also finance an expansion of the Youth Justice Board's resettlement and aftercare provision which has already been rolled out in 59 Youth Offending Teams. This programme provides intensive support for over 2,000 young people in the youth justice system. This includes access to substance misuse and mental health treatment programmes and planned activities to address offending behaviour. It also provides practical support including assistance to access accommodation.

Young Offenders: Legal Aid

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy for all children in contact with the criminal justice system to be entitled to free legal advice and representation in relation to such contact.

Maria Eagle: Legal aid is widely available to children and young people when they come into contact with the criminal justice system. All those interviewed by police must be informed of their right to non-means-tested legal advice. A young person under 17 must also have an 'appropriate adult' with them when interviewed by the police; this could be a parent, guardian, social or health care professional.
	If a youth appears before court, legal representation is provided free of charge subject to the youth passing the 'Interests of Justice' test. If a youth does not have their own solicitor, the court duty solicitor can provide free advice and, if appropriate, representation.
	While in the vast majority of cases, youths are properly represented at court, the Government are currently exploring how youth defendants can be made better aware of their rights to advice and representation. It is also carrying out additional research to assess whether there are any vulnerable youths going without representation, and if so, to identify appropriate remedies.

Young Offenders: Local Authorities

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will discuss with local government representatives proposals to transfer child detention budgets to local authorities.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	There are no current proposals to transfer child detention budgets to local authorities. The youth crime action plan sets out proposals to make local authorities responsible for the full cost of court-ordered secure remand. They are already responsible for the placement and for one third of the costs where the secure estate is used and the full cost where alternative provision is used. We are consulting on this proposal and will have further discussions with local government representatives as part of that process and prior to any final decisions.

Young Offenders: Rehabilitation

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to involve the families of young offenders in their rehabilitation following a period of detention.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	The youth crime action plan sets out the Government's intention to develop a comprehensive package of support for children leaving custody. This would include conducting on ongoing assessments of a young person's risk of re-offending and their underlying needsincluding family factorsto shape the provision they receive.
	Through the family pathfinders work we will also explore if a family needs assessment framework can be developed to include regular reviews with the family (including young people where appropriate} and other agencies.
	We also signalled our intention to ensure that all assessments of children in custody consider the family need and the support required to enable the child to return to their family on release.

Youth Citizenship Commission: Operating Costs

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the annual running costs were of the Youth Citizenship Commission in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: The Youth Citizenship Commission is scheduled to report in spring 2009. The staff costs, and travel and subsistence costs for staff and commissioners, are expected to total up to 135,500 for the life of the Commission.
	In addition, the commission will incur the costs of funding research; engagement events around the UK; and a website; and will have publishing costs. We have not yet finalised the contracts relating to these elements, so I cannot provide precise figures at this stage. I will however write to you with more information in the autumn once contracts are in place.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

10 Downing Street: Manpower

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1184W, on 10 Downing street: manpower, what the job titles and specifications are of each of the 10 staff in the house management team.

Tom Watson: Information about the contractual terms of individual members of staff is personal information between the employer and employee and therefore not disclosed. The cost and number of No. 10 staff are published annually.

Admiralty House

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 1079W, on Admiralty House, whether the Deputy Prime Minister's Office provided  (a) linen and laundry services,  (b) porters,  (c) internal plants,  (d) catering services,  (e) telephones,  (f) cable or satellite television and  (g) internet access, to the right hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Hull (i) at public expense and (ii) billed to the resident in each case.

Phil Hope: No internal plants or linen and laundry service were provided to the flat. The charge paid by occupying Departments to the Cabinet Office includes the provision of in-hours portering services. Catering services can be provided by the Cabinet Office's facilities management provider on a re-charge basis. The Deputy Prime Minister's Office provided telephone lines, internet access and cable television.

Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many deaths from cancer in England there were in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2007;
	(2)  how many deaths from cardiovascular disease in England there were in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2007.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking (1) how many deaths from cancer in England there were in (a) 2005 and (b) 2007; and (2) how many deaths from cardiovascular disease in England there were in (a) 2005 and (b) 2007. (220572, 220573)
	The table attached provides the numbers of deaths in England where (1) cancer and (2) cardiovascular disease was the underlying cause of death, in (a) 2005 and (b) 2007.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths with an underlying cause of (1) cancer and (2) cardiovascular disease( 1) , England, 2005 and 2007( 2) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Cause of death  2005  2007 
			 Cancer 126,274 127,759 
			 Cardiovascular disease 171,040 158,604 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C00-C97 for cancer, and 100-199 for cardiovascular disease. (2) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Civil Servants: Holiday Leave

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether privilege day holidays for civil servants are the same for all Government Departments.

Tom Watson: The civil service management Code grants Departments authority to determine their own arrangements for privilege holidays provided the day for the Queen's official birthday is on either the Friday preceding or the Tuesday after the spring bank holiday.
	The civil service management code can be found at
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/iam/codes/csmc/index.asp

Civil Servants: Pensions

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme has made investments in the last two years in financial vehicles that bundle debt together.

Tom Watson: The Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme makes no investments of any description since it is an unfunded pension scheme.

Death: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of  (a) the overall mortality rate and  (b) the cigarette smoking-related mortality rate in Darlington constituency in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of (a) the overall mortality rate and (b) the cigarette smoking-related mortality rate in Darlington constituency in each of the last five years. (219625)
	The table attached provides the age-standardised mortality rate for Darlington parliamentary constituency, for 2001 to 2005 (the latest year available).
	Deaths related to cigarette smoking cannot be directly estimated, as smoking status is not included on the death certificate. However, research published by the then Health Development Agency in 2004 suggested that, in the period 1998-2002, some 17 per cent. of all deaths in England were attributable to smoking.(1)
	(1) Twigg L, Moon G, Walker S (2004) 'The smoking epidemic in England'. London; Health Development Agency
	
		
			  Table 1. Age-standardised mortality rate per 100,000 population( 1)  all-cause mortality, Darlington parliamentary constituency, 2001-05( 2,3) 
			   Rate per 100,000 
			 2001 773 
			 2002 749 
			 2003 734 
			 2004 786 
			 2005 683 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2008. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Departmental Consultants

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average cost per hour to his Department was of a management consultant working in the Cabinet Office in the last 12 months.

Tom Watson: The information is not held in the format requested and cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what IT contracts his Departments and its agency have entered into in the last two years.

Tom Watson: The information is not available centrally in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	Major IT contracts awarded by the Cabinet Office and Central Office of Information in 2006-07 and 2007-08 include:
	
		
			  Nature of supply  Supplier 
			  Cabinet Office  
			 Secure office system LogicaCMG UK Limited 
			 IT and telecommunications equipment software, services, application development and training Fujitsu Services Limited 
			 Management of secure web-based system for public access to Government on-line services Atos Origin 
			 Secure information system IBM United Kingdom Limited 
			   
			  Central Office of Information  
			 Hardware and software maintenance for asset management system Autonomy 
			 Server maintenance Probrand/CCE

Departmental Official Hospitality

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many receptions he has hosted and funded in his capacity as Minister for the Cabinet Office in the last 12 months; which individuals and organisations  (a) were invited to and  (b) attended each reception; and what the cost was of each reception;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1682W, on departmental official hospitality, when annual lists providing information relating to official receptions will be published by the Cabinet Office; and whether this information will include the names of the individuals and organisations who  (a) were invited to and  (b) attended each reception hosted by the Office of the Leader of the House.

Edward Miliband: I refer the right hon. Member to my statement of 17 July 2008,  Official Report, column 52WS.
	My right hon. and learned Friend the Leader of the House hosted the traditional annual Leader's Christmas reception in December 2007 to thank Members of Parliament, House of Commons officials and colleagues across Government for their contribution to the work of the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons. The total cost for the reception was 4,287.63.

Departmental Paper

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of paper used  (a) for photocopying and  (b) in printed publications by (i) the Cabinet Office and (ii) the Prime Minister's Office was from recycled sources in each of the last two years.

Phil Hope: The Prime Minister's Office forms an integral part of the Cabinet Office. All paper used for photocopying is 100 per cent. recycled with a post-consumer waste content of 100 per cent. The vast majority of paper supplied for printed publications is 100 per cent. recycled with a post-consumer waste content of 75 per cent.

Departmental Procurement

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his Department's policy is on requesting discounts from its suppliers in return for swift payment of invoices.

Phil Hope: The Department does not request discounts from suppliers in return for swift payment of invoices.

Departmental Property

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a list of the residential properties owned by the Duchy of Lancaster.

Edward Miliband: Due to the commercially sensitive nature of the information, I am unable to place a list of the properties held by the Duchy of Lancaster in the Library of the House.
	The Duchy does not own any assets within the Bromley and Chislehurst constituency.

Departmental Sick Leave

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many days of sick leave were taken by employees of the Prime Minister's Office in each year since 1997.

Tom Watson: The Prime Minister's Office is part of the Cabinet Office.
	Details of the absence rates for the Cabinet Office for the period 1997 to March 2008 are published on the Cabinet Office Website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/reports/absence.aspx
	The absence statistics for the Cabinet Office are also published as part of the annual civil service absence statistics online for the period 2004 to 31 March 2007 at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/statistics/sickness.asp
	Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Training

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1093W, how many away days were located outside his Department's premises in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not held centrally and therefore can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	All Cabinet Office expenditure on away days is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting and other HM Treasury guidance.

Disadvantaged: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his latest estimate is of the percentage of the population in  (a) Leeds West constituency and  (b) Leeds Metropolitan District which is economically inactive.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the latest estimate is of the percentage of the population in (a) Leeds West constituency and (b) Leeds Metropolitan District which is economically inactive.
	The Office for National Statistics compiles estimates of inactivity for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1 contains estimates of the percentage of persons aged 16 or more who were resident in the Leeds West constituency and the Leeds Metropolitan District and economically inactive for the 12 month period ending December 2007 from the APS. These differ from the published estimates which are for persons of working age (Males age 16-64, females age 16-59), which have also been included in the table.
	As this estimate is for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, it is based on a very small sample size, and is therefore subject to a large margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of persons economic ally inactive resident in Leeds  West Parliamentary Constituency and Leeds Metropolitan District 
			  Percentage 
			  Year ending December 2007  Age 16+  Working Age( 1) 
			 Leeds West 34 24 
			 Leeds Metropolitan District 35 22 
			 (1) Males age 16-64, Females age 16-59  Source: ONS Annual Population Survey

Electoral Register

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in which local authority areas voter registration levels have declined over the last 10 year period for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking in which local authority areas voter registration levels have declined over the last 10 year period for which figures are available. (218825)
	The following list details the local authorities within the UK that have a decline in the local government electorate between 1997 and 2007.
	 Local authorities showing a decline in the number o f people registered to vote in l ocal/European elections between 1997 and 2007, for the United Kingdom
	Aberdeen City
	Allerdale
	Alnwick
	Angus
	Antrim
	Ards
	Argyll and Bute
	Ballymena
	Barrow in Furness
	Belfast
	Birmingham
	Blackpool
	Blaenau Gwent
	Bradford
	Brentwood
	Broxtowe
	Burnley
	Calderdale
	Cambridge
	Carmarthenshire
	Carrickfergus
	Castle Morpeth
	Castlereagh
	Chester
	Chester le Street
	Chiltern
	Coleraine
	Coventry
	Derry
	Doncaster
	Dundee City
	Durham
	East Ayrshire
	East Dunbartonshire
	Edinburgh, City of
	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	Gateshead
	Gedling
	Glasgow City
	Gwynedd
	Halton
	Hyndburn
	Inverclyde
	Isle of Anglesey
	Kingston upon Hull, City of
	Larne
	Lisburn
	Liverpool
	Malvern Hills
	Merthyr Tydfil
	Middlesbrough
	Newcastle upon Tyne
	Newtownabbey
	North Down
	North East Lincolnshire
	North Lanarkshire
	Nottingham
	Nuneaton and Bedworth
	Plymouth
	Portsmouth
	Redcar and Cleveland
	Renfrewshire
	Rhondda, Cynon, Taff
	Rotherham
	Runnymede
	Salford
	Sandwell
	Sefton
	Sheffield
	Shrewsbury and Atcham
	Solihull
	South Ayrshire
	South Tyneside
	Southend on Sea
	St. Helens
	Stirling
	Stockport
	Stoke on Trent
	Strabane
	Sunderland
	Tameside
	Thanet
	Walsall
	Wansbeck
	West Dunbartonshire
	Wigan
	Windsor and Maidenhead
	Wirral
	Wolverhampton
	 Note:
	Different names may have been used for the same geographic areas in the past.
	 Source: Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

Electoral Register

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) highest,  (b) average and  (c) lowest percentage of voter registration in local authority areas in England was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated July 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question asking what the  (a) highest,  (b) average and  (c) lowest percentage of voter registration in local authority areas in England is for the most recent period for which figures are available. (218826)
	The closest available approximation to the percentage of voter registration is the number of people who are registered to vote in the local/European elections as a percent of the estimated usually resident population age 18 and over.
	The proxy percentages should not be interpreted as the percentage of the eligible population who are registered to vote. They may be an under estimates in some areas because not everyone who is usually resident is entitled to vote, for example foreign citizens from outside of the EU and Commonwealth are not eligible.
	Conversely, for other areas rates exceed one hundred per cent as figures for the registered electorate may be inflated. People who have more than one address may register in more than one place (e.g. students may register at parental and term-time addresses) and electoral registration officers vary in how quickly they remove people from the registers after they have moved away from an area or died.
	Bearing these caveats in mind the highest, average and lowest percentage of voter registration in local authority areas in England, for 2006, are 101.9%, 96.5% and 68.6% respectively. 2006 is the most recent year that estimates of the usually resident population are available.

Employment: North East

Alan Milburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) part-time and  (b) full-time jobs there were in (i) Darlington constituency, (ii) County Durham and (iii) the north east in each year since 1997.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time jobs there were in (i) Darlington constituency, (ii) County Durham and (iii) the North East in each year since 1997. (219626).
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS). This is the preferred source for estimates at the detailed level requested although the estimates refer to the number of people in employment rather than the number of jobs.
	The attached table provides estimates of the number of people aged 16 and over, in full and part-time employment, resident in Darlington, County Durham and the North East.
	As some of these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Number of people, aged 16 and over, in full and part time( 1)  employment, resident in Darlington parliamentary constituency( 2) , County Durham( 3)  and the North East( 4) , 1998-2007 
			  Thousand 
			   Darlington( 2)  County Durham( 3)  North East( 4) 
			  12 months ending:  Full time  Part time  Total  Full time  Part time  Total  Full time  Part time  Total 
			 February 1998(5) 28 11 39 163 49 211 779 281 1,060 
			 February 1999(5) 29 11 40 165 45 210 780 273 1,053 
			 February 2000(5) 26 11 37 169 51 219 761 287 1,048 
			 February 2001(5) 31 10 41 166 49 215 794 280 1,074 
			 February 2002(5) 31 10 41 160 52 212 796 279 1,075 
			 February 2003(5) 29 10 40 149 46 196 802 280 1,082 
			 February 2004(5) 30 10 40 152 44 196 809 282 1,091 
			 March 2005(6) 30 10 40 169 49 219 835 289 1,124 
			 March 2006(6) 29 10 38 168 50 218 850 286 1,136 
			 March 2007(6) 29 11 40 175 58 233 860 294 1,153 
			 (1) Includes those full-time and part-time on new deal. (2) 1995 parliamentary constituency boundary to February 2004, 2005 parliamentary constituency boundary revision thereafter. (3) Local authority district. (4) Government office region. (5) Based on annual Labour Force Survey (LFS). (6) Based on Annual Population Survey (APS).  Notes: 1. As these estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. 2. Totals may not sum because of rounding. 3. Figures are based on the most recent population estimates published in 2007.  Source: ONS Annual Population Survey and annual Labour Force Survey

Food: Prices

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the estimated average  (a) monthly and  (b) annual food bills for families in (i) England and Wales and (ii) in each region were in each of the last three years.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the estimated average  (a) monthly and  (b) annual food bills for families in England and Wales were in each of the last three years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region (220593).
	Estimates of household expenditure appear in the annual ONS publication Family Spending. The following table shows the estimates of household spending on food and non-alcoholic drink for England, English regions and for Wales, as they have appeared in the last three editions of Family Spending. These estimates exclude spending on food and drink in cafes, restaurants, and pubs, as well as take away food and snack food which are all classified as catering services.
	The estimates published in Family Spending are based on data collected through the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS), which is a sample survey, covering approximately 6,000 households in the United Kingdom. Estimates for regions are normally based on data collected over three years, and estimates based on data for the periods 2002-03 to 2004-05, and 2003-04 to 2005-06 have been provided in the following table. Starting with the most recent edition of Family Spending, Family Spending 2007, which published data for 2006, estimates are now published for calendar years, and rather than calculate an average of data from financial and calendar years, regional estimates in Family Spending 2007 were based solely on data collected in 2006.
	
		
			  Household expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drink by region: England and Wales, 2002-03 to 2006( 1) 
			   
			   2002-03 to 2004-05  2003-04 to 2005-06  2006 
			  Expenditure per month( 2)
			 England 190 190 200 
			 North East 170 170 170 
			 North West 190 190 190 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 170 170 200 
			 East Midlands 190 190 210 
			 West Midlands 180 180 200 
			 Eastern 200 210 210 
			 London 190 200 220 
			 South East 200 200 210 
			 South West 190 190 200 
			 
			 Wales 180 190 180 
			 
			  Expenditure per year( 2)
			 England 2,270 2,230 2,440 
			 North East 2,080 2,070 2,090 
			 North West 2,220 2,240 2,230 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,060 2,090 2,410 
			 East Midlands 2,290 2,330 2,500 
			 West Midlands 2,190 2,210 2,450 
			 Eastern 2,400 2,500 2,510 
			 London 2,330 2,420 2,620 
			 South East 2,410 2,440 2,560 
			 South West 2,290 2,330 2,370 
			 
			 Wales 2,170 2,250 2,200 
			 (1) Estimates for regions are normally based on data collected over three years. Starting with the most recent edition of family spending, Family Spending 2007, which published data for 2006, estimates are now published for calendar years, and rather than average data from financial and calendar years, regional estimates in Family Spending 2007 were based solely on data collected in 2006. (2) Figures rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  Family spending, ONS

Government Departments: Heating

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to adopt a target for the sourcing of heat and cooling supply on the Government estate from combined heat and power generation.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The targets for sustainable operations on the Government estate include one on combined heat and power. The target which runs until 2010 is that Departments seek to source at least 15 per cent. of electricity from combined heat and power.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many deaths from hospital-acquired infections there were in Wales in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) hospital and  (b) local health board area.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from hospital-acquired infections there were in Wales in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) hospital and (b) local health board area. (219709)
	Death certificates record the place where a person dies, but not where any infections may have been acquired. It is not possible from the information on a death certificate to know whether an infection was acquired in the hospital or other place where a patient died. Patients are often transferred between hospitals, nursing homes and other establishments and may have acquired infections in a different place from where they died.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not receive information on 'hospital-acquired infections' but special analyses of deaths involving two infections that are often associated with healthcare, MRSA and Clostridium difficile, are undertaken annually by ONS for England and Wales. The most recent figures were published in reports in Health Statistics Quarterly 37 in February of this year. This publication is available in the House of Commons library.
	Additionally, a report on deaths involving MRSA and Clostridium difficile by individual communal establishment (including hospitals) where the person died was published for the first time in Health Statistics Quarterly 38 in May this year. Tables that supplement this release can be found on the National Statistics Website.(1,2)
	(1) http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/C_Diff_ establishments_200 l_06.xls
	(2) http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/MRSA_ establishments_2001_06.xls

Immigration

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of people migrating to the UK were from  (a) EU member states and  (b) other countries since 2004.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question of how many and what proportion of people migrating to the UK were from  (a) EU member states and  (b) other countries since 2004. (221205)
	Total international migration to the UK between 2004 and 2006 by country of last residence is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Total international immigration to the UK by country of last residence, 2004 to 2006 
			   Number (thousand)  Percentage 
			   All countries  European Union 25  Other countries  European Union 25  Other countries 
			 2004 586 150 436 26 74 
			 2005 563 182 381 32 68 
			 2006 591 205 386 35 65

Immigration

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for which non-EEA countries there was  (a) an excess of emigration from the UK over immigration to the UK and  (b) an excess of immigration to the UK over emigration (i) in 1987 to 1997 and (ii) since 1997; and what the size of the excess was in each case.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question for which non-EEA countries there was (a) an excess of emigration from the UK over immigration to the UK and (b) an excess of immigration to the UK over emigration (i) in 1987 to 1997 and (ii) since 1997; and what the size of the excess was in each case. (221210)
	Table 1, attached, provides the top three non-EEA countries with net immigration and with net emigration figures for 1987 to 2006. Only the top three are provided to ensure that the estimates are reliable. Data are grouped by year because they are readily available in this format. The figures are based on the International Passenger Survey and care should be taken when interpreting net migration estimates since a small net migration figure may mask large immigration and emigration flows.
	
		
			  Table 1: Migration estimates by non-EEA country of last or next residence, 1987 to 2006top three countries 
			  United Kingdom (thousand) 
			   Immigration  Emigration  Net migration 
			  1987-1991
			 Pakistan 49 15 +34 
			 New Zealand 64 34 +30 
			 Bangladesh 31 6 +26 
			 
			 Canada 32 56 -25 
			 United States of America 135 170 -35 
			 Australia 119 198 -79 
			 
			  1992-1997
			 India 42 12 +30 
			 Pakistan 39 11 +28 
			 South Africa 48 30 +19 
			 
			 New Zealand 50 64 -14 
			 United States of America 148 178 -30 
			 Australia 121 174 -53 
			  1998-2002
			 South Africa 113 36 +77 
			 China 73 10 +63 
			 India 70 14 +56 
			 
			 Switzerland 14 20 -6 
			 United States of America 142 151 -9 
			 Australia 200 219 -19 
			 
			  2003-2006
			 India 176 25 +152 
			 Pakistan 91 13 +77 
			 China 105 37 +68 
			 
			 Canada 31 42 -11 
			 New Zealand 51 84 -33 
			 Australia 149 230 -81 
			 + Denotes a net inflow figure - Denotes a net outflow figure Notes: 1. Based on data from the International Passenger Survey. Excludes adjustments for (1) those whose intended length of stay changes so that their migrant status changes; (2) asylum seekers and their dependants not identified by the IPS; and (3) flows between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. 2. Figures have been rounded independently and may not add to totals. Source: International Passenger Survey

Infant Mortality

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many babies  (a) were stillborn and  (b) died within one year of birth in each year since 1979.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many babies (a) were stillborn and (b) died within one year of birth in each year since 1979. (219714)
	The number of stillbirths and infant deaths in England and Wales for 1979 to 2006 (the most recent year for which figures are available) can be found in the attached table.
	
		
			  Stillbirths( 1)  and infant deaths( 2) , England and Wales. 1979-2006 
			   Number of stillbirths  Number of infant deaths 
			 1979 5,125 8,178 
			 1980 4,773 7,899 
			 1981 4,207 7,021 
			 1982 3,939 6,775 
			 1983 3,631 6,381 
			 1984 3,643 6,037 
			 1985 3,645 6,141 
			 1986 3,549 6,313 
			 1987 3,423 6,272 
			 1988 3,382 6,270 
			 1989 3,236 5,808 
			 1990 3,256 5,564 
			 1991 3,254 5,158 
			 1992 2,944 4,539 
			 1993 3,855 4,242 
			 1994 3,813 4,120 
			 1995 3,600 3,982 
			 1996 3,539 3,959 
			 1997 3,439 3,799 
			 1998 3,417 3,625 
			 1999 3,305 3,621 
			 2000 3,203 3,377 
			 2001 3,159 3,240 
			 2002 3,372 3,127 
			 2003 3,612 3,306 
			 2004 3,686 3,218 
			 2005 3,483 3,259 
			 2006(3) 3,602 3,368 
			 (1) From 1979 to 30 September 1992 stillbirths relate to foetal deaths at or over 28 weeks gestation, and from 1 October 1992 at or over 24 weeks gestation. (2) Deaths under age one, number of deaths are based on annual occurrences for years 1993-2005 and annual registrations for all other years. (3) Figures for 2006 are provisional.

Pay

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) mean and  (b) median wage for (i) men and (ii) women has been in each year since 2003.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the (a) mean and (b) median wage for (i) men and (ii)) women has been in each year since 2003. (220126)
	Levels of earnings, including mean and medians, are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom.
	ASHE results for each year since 2003 can be obtained on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ashe

Smoking: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of  (a) the overall mortality rate and  (b) the rate of mortality related to cigarette smoking in the London borough of Bexley in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of (a) the overall mortality rate and (b) the rate of mortality related to cigarette smoking in the London Borough of Bexley in each of the last five years. (220394)
	The table attached provides the age-standardised mortality rate for the London borough of Bexley, for 2002 to 2006 (the latest year available).
	Deaths related to cigarette smoking cannot be directly estimated, as smoking status is not included on the death certificate. However, research published by the then Health Development Agency in 2004 suggested that, in the period 1998-2002, some 17 per cent of all deaths in England were attributable to smoking(1).
	(1) Twigg L, Moon G, Walker S (2004) The smoking epidemic in England. London; Health Development Agency
	
		
			  Table 1. Age-standardised mortality rate per 100,000 population( 1)  all-cause mortality, London borough of Bexley, 2002-06( 2, 3) 
			   Rate per 100,000 
			 2002 630 
			 2003 628 
			 2004 572 
			 2005 549 
			 2006 553 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2008. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Taxation

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what the estimated average cost to families in England and Wales was of  (a) direct taxation and  (b) indirect taxation in each of the last three years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region;
	(2)  what the estimated average cost to families in England and Wales was of VAT charges in each of the last three years  (a) in total and  (b) broken down by region.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking what the estimated average cost to families in England and Wales was of (a) direct taxation and (b) indirect taxation in each of the last three years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region (220590); and secondly what the estimated average cost to families in England and Wales was of VAT charges in each of the last three years (a) in total and (b) broken down by region (220592).
	Estimates of the payment of both direct and indirect taxes by UK households appear in the ONS analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income'. The latest analysis for 2006-07 was published on the National Statistics website on 25th June 2008 at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits
	The analysis is based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey, which is a sample survey covering approximately 6,000 households in the UK.
	The two tables below, which are based on the same data, show the average annual payments of these taxes for households in England, Wales and each region of England. These estimates are based on a household survey, and so some of the year to year variation in estimates is due to sampling error.
	
		
			  Table 1: Average direct and indirect taxes for households in England and Wales( 1, 2, 3)  2004-05 to 2006-07 
			   per year 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  England
			 VAT 2,030 2,060 2,100 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 4,810 4,760 4,950 
			 Direct taxes 6,800 6,960 7,480 
			 Total taxes 11,600 11,720 12,420 
			  Wales
			 VAT 1,730 1,840 1,980 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 4,300 4,560 4,820 
			 Direct taxes 4,570 4,700 6,020 
			 Total taxes 8,870 9,270 10,840 
			 (1) Indirect taxes include VAT, duty on tobacco, alcohol, hydrocarbon oils, televisions licences, air passenger duty, Stamp duty, as well as other taxes on final goods and services and intermediate taxes. (2) Direct taxes consist of income tax (after deducting tax credits and tax relief at source on life assurance premiums), national insurance contributions, and council tax but after deducting discounts and council tax benefits. (3) Figures rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Average direct and indirect taxes for households in English regions( 1, 2, 3)  2004-05 to 2006-07 
			   per year 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  North East
			 VAT 1,720 1,750 2,030 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 4,090 4,170 4,660 
			 Direct taxes 4,550 4,680 5,520 
			 Total taxes 8,640 8,860 10,180 
			  North West and Merseyside
			 VAT 2,090 1,880 1,920 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 4,980 4,330 4,640 
			 Direct taxes 5,830 5,510 5,980 
			 Total taxes 10,810 9,840 10,620 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber
			 VAT 2,060 1,920 2,100 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 4,910 4,330 4,740 
			 Direct taxes 5,570 5,160 5,660 
			 Total taxes 10,480 9,490 10,400 
			  East Midlands
			 VAT 2,060 1,980 1,980 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 4,780 4,630 4,710 
			 Direct taxes 6,140 6,180 6,490 
			 Total taxes 10,910 10,810 11,200 
			  West Midlands
			 VAT 1,780 2,010 1,990 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 4,330 4,640 4,750 
			 Direct taxes 5,490 6,760 6,360 
			 Total taxes 9,820 11,400 11,120 
			  Eastern
			 VAT 2,130 2,300 2,270 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 4,970 5,280 5,240 
			 Direct taxes 7,690 7,450 7,550 
			 Total taxes 12,650 12,740 12,790 
			  London
			 VAT 2,040 2,090 2,070 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 4,900 4,950 4,900 
			 Direct taxes 8,910 8,180 9,420 
			 Total taxes 13,810 13,140 14,320 
			  South East
			 VAT 2,300 2,100 2,340 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 5,210 5,110 5,380 
			 Direct taxes 8,560 10,570 9,320 
			 Total taxes 13,770 15,680 14,700 
			  South West
			 VAT 2,080 2,100 2,030 
			 Indirect taxes (including vat) 4,810 4,790 4,810 
			 Direct taxes 5,960 6,330 6,670 
			 Total taxes 10,770 11,120 11,480 
			 (1) Indirect taxes include VAT, duty on tobacco, alcohol, hydrocarbon oils, televisions licences, air passenger duty, Stamp duty, as well as other taxes on final goods and services and intermediate taxes. (2) Direct taxes consist of income tax after deducting tax credits and tax relief at source on life assurance premiums), national insurance contributions, and council tax but after deducting discounts and council tax benefits. (3) Figures rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Office for National Statistics

Unemployment: Hyndburn

Greg Pope: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of the working-age population in Hyndburn constituency is economically inactive.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of the working-age population in Hyndburn constituency are economically inactive. (218288)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles estimates of inactivity for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	The estimate of 28% for people of working age (Males aged 16-64, Females aged 16-59) for Hyndburn Constituency was obtained from the APS for the 12 months ending in December 2007, which is the latest period for which estimates are available.
	As this estimate is for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, it is based on a very small sample size, and is therefore subject to a large margin of uncertainty.

Young People: Unemployment

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what youth unemployment was in  (a) Tamworth constituency,  (b) Staffordshire,  (c) the west midlands and  (d) the UK in each year since 2005.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the level of youth unemployment has been in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) Staffordshire, (c) the West Midlands and (d) the UK in each year since 2005. (220128)
	The Office for National Statistics compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	The Annual Population Survey classifies as unemployed people who are without a job who were available to start work in the two weeks following their APS interview and who had either looked for work in the four weeks prior to interview or are waiting to start a job already obtained.
	Table 1, attached, shows the level of youth unemployment defined as persons age 16-24 resident in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) Staffordshire, (c) the West Midlands and (d) the UK for the 12 month periods ending December, for 2005-2007, from the APS, which is the most recent period for which estimates are available.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	The data are also published on the Office for National Statistics's Nomis website:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of unemployed persons aged 16 to 24, resident in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) Staffordshire, (c) the West Midlands and (d) the UK in each year since 2005 
			  Thousand 
			  12 months ending  December 2005  December 2006  December 2007 
			 Tamworth constituency 1 (1) 1 
			 Staffordshire 6 4 7 
			 West Midlands 58 61 64 
			 United Kingdom 610 662 660 
			 (1) Disclosive or data is unavailable.  Note: The estimates for local areas are based on very small sample sizes and are subject to a very high degree of sampling variability. Changes from year to year, especially, should be treated with caution.  Source: ONS Annual Population Survey

Young People: Unemployment

Linda Riordan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people aged between 18 and 25 years were unemployed  (a) in 1997 and  (b) at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 July 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of people aged between 18 and 25 years who were unemployed (a) in 1997 and (b) at the most recent date for which figures are available.
	In the UK, for the three month period ending March 1997, there were an estimated 552 thousand people aged 18 to 25 inclusive who were unemployed. The corresponding estimate for the three months ending March 2008 was 533 thousand.
	The estimates of unemployment use the definition agreed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), i.e. people are unemployed if they are without a job, want a job, have actively sought work in the last four weeks and are available to start work in the next two weeks, or if they are out of work, have found a job and are going to start it in the next two weeks.
	Each month the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes Labour Force Survey (LFS) unemployment estimates by age in the Labour Market Statistics First Release. Historical information can be found via the following link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/OnlineProducts/LMS_FR_HS.asp
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children Act 2004

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what consideration he has given to extending the provisions of section 11 of the Children Act 2004 to the armed forces.

Kevin Brennan: We currently have no plans to extend the provisions of section 11 of the Children Act 2004 to the armed forces. Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government 2006) provides statutory guidance on how to help safeguard and promote the welfare of children, including young people under the age of 16 who are in the armed forces as recruits or trainees, or who may be dependents of a service family, whether based in the UK or overseas. The armed forces are fully committed to co-operating with statutory and other agencies in supporting families and have procedures to help safeguard and promote the welfare of children. In addition, the Department for Children, Schools and Families continues to work closely with the Ministry of Defence and offers advice on safeguarding children and young people attached to garrisons abroad.

Children in Care: Truancy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in care were absent from school without authorisation in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: Information is not collected in the format requested. However, figures on the number of looked after children who missed at least 25 days of school are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of looked after children who had been looked after continuously for at least 12 months and who missed at least 25 days of school( 1) 12 months ending 30 September 2000-07, England 
			   Looked after children 
			   Number( 2)  Percentage 
			 2000 4,000 12.0 
			 2001 4,100 12.2 
			 2002 4,100 12.0 
			 2003 4,400 12.4 
			 2004 4,300 12.3 
			 2005 4,400 12.6 
			 2006 4,600 13.4 
			 2007 4,400 13.0 
			 (1) Includes authorised and unauthorised absence. (2) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

Children: Day Care

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many holiday club places were provided by his Department for school-age children in each of the last five years; what proportion provided services for  (a) six hours or less,  (b) between six and eight hours,  (c) between eight and 10 hours and  (d) more than 10 hours each day; and what information he holds on the average cost to parents of taking up such places.

Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information about holiday clubs that were registered with Ofsted, these are facilities that provide day care for children under eight They may also provide care for children up to 14 years old, and up to 16 years old for children with special needs.
	Table 1 shows the total number of Ofsted registered places for children under eight in holiday clubs for each year available.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Total number of places 
			 2003 121,700 
			 2006 263,900 
		
	
	Table 2 shows the proportion of holiday clubs by the number of hours they were open each day during the school holidays in 2006. Figures are not available for previous years.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   Percentage of providers 
			 1-2 hours 1 
			 3-4 hours 8 
			 5-6 hours 14 
			 7-8 hours 14 
			 9-10 hours 53 
			 11 hours or more 10 
			   
			 Mean number of hours open 8.3 
		
	
	In 2006 the average hourly fee charged by holiday clubs was 1.70(1). Figures are not available for previous years.
	(1) Caution should be taken with the data on fees; this figure has been derived from a number of variables and is prone to distortion.

Children: Disadvantaged

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in the St Albans constituency were eligible for free school meals in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The requested information is given in the table.
	
		
			  Nursery, primary and secondary schools( 1) : number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals: Position in January each year 1997 to 2008, St. Albans parliamentary constituency 
			   Maintained Nursery and Primary Schools  Maintained Secondary Schools 
			   Number on roll  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals  Number on roll  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 1997(2) 8,064 1,500 18.6 7,670 642 8.4 
			 1998(2) 8,138 732 9.0 7,951 635 8.0 
			 1999(2) 8,221 738 9.0 8,119 625 7.7 
			 2000(2) 8,213 722 8.8 8,397 624 7.4 
			 2001(2) 8,372 684 8.2 8,588 629 7.3 
			 2002(2) 8,439 663 7.9 8,871 574 6.5 
			 2003(3) 8,498 597 7.0 9,083 624 6.9 
			 2004(3) 8,455 667 7.9 9,141 602 6.6 
			 2005(3) 8,389 629 7.5 9,141 604 6.6 
			 2006(3) 8,314 542 6.6 9,194 601 6.5 
			 2007(3) 8,454 516 6.2 9,114 595 6.5 
			 2008(3) 8,662 527 6.2 9,023 505 5.6 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. Also includes CTCs and academies (although none of these school types in St Albans). (2) Includes dually registered pupils, excludes boarding pupils. (3) Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils.  Source:  School Census.

Children: Employment

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress he has made in updating regulations and guidance on child employment; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 21 July 2008
	We do not have plans to amend regulations relating to the employment of children, but we are considering whether amendments need to be made to those relating to children's participation in entertainment. We recognise that there is a need for guidance on both child employment and performance and we are planning to produce this in the near future.

Children: Protection

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people resident in Stroud constituency are on List 99.

Kevin Brennan: The identification of the number of individuals registered on List 99 who have home addresses in Stroud would require each of the case records to be checked. This could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost and would only provide historical information correct at the time at which the individuals concerned were registered.
	Once an individual is on List 99, a standard or enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure will reveal the barred status of that individual to an employer together with details of any criminal convictions. Information on an individual's address at the time of listing is not necessary in order to check whether that person is barred.

Children: Restraint Techniques

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many times oxygen has been administered to a child following restraint in  (a) young offender institutions,  (b) secure training centres,  (c) local authority secure children's homes,  (d) immigration removal centres,  (e) maintained residential special schools,  (f) NHS psychiatric hospitals and  (g) local authority children's homes in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The data is not collected centrally. Enquiries would need to be made to each of the establishments involved and they, in turn, would need to review their records. As in some cases this would involve a manual search, it is not possible to provide the information without incurring disproportionate costs.

Children: Wheelchairs

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress has been made in improving the provision of wheelchair services for children and young people since the publication of the Aiming High for Disabled Children document in May 2007.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	The Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services Programme was set up on 2006 to design a radical new model for delivery of both community equipment and wheelchairs in England. The remit of the programme was to place service users and carers at the heart of any new service model and build on the strengths of the third and private sector. The overall aim was to develop a new high quality system for delivering equipment which would give those supported by the state the sort of choice and control they have not previously enjoyed. Responsibility for assessment if need remains with local health and social care commissioners.
	The programme has developed a business case for a new model of delivery of wheelchair services which is currently being considered.

Departmental Buildings

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on  (a) new capital investment and  (b) refurbishment of property in each of the last 10 years, broken down by project.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007 and has not incurred any new capital investment since that time. The expenditure on refurbishment projects for the financial year 2007-08 was 12,028,357.

Departmental Catering

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1539W, on the Fairtrade initiative, how much his Department spent on refreshments for official departmental meetings and engagements in each of the last three financial years; and what percentage of this total was spent on Fairtrade products.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children, Schools and Families financial systems does not hold information on the amount of spend incurred purely for refreshments. The information held identifies hospitality spend which includes buffets as well as refreshments. Therefore the information could be provided only at disproportionate costs. All refreshments provided by our catering provider, Aramark, for internal meetings and functions is Fairtrade.
	The Department was created on 28 June 2007 and the hospitality spend for the financial year 2007-08 was 354,769.

Departmental Manpower

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the change in the number of employees of his Department has been since it was established.

Kevin Brennan: The Department was established as part of the machinery of Government changes of 28 June 2007 with the vast majority of staff coming from the former Department for Education and Skills. At the point of establishment there were 2,774.6 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in my Department. At 30 June 2008 there were 2,586.6 FTE employees, so there has been a net reduction of 188 FTE employees.

Departmental Paper

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of paper used  (a) for photocopying and  (b) in printed publications by his Department and its predecessor was from recycled sources in each of the last two years.

Kevin Brennan: The percentage of paper from recycled sources used in the last two financial years for
	Sheffield and London Reprographics: 97 per cent;
	National floor copiers (all four sites): 100 per cent;
	Printed publications: 100 per cent.

Departmental Research

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of his Department's budget and that of its predecessor was used for research within its areas of responsibility in each of the last 10 years.

Edward Balls: The proportion of my Department's budget and that of its predecessors that was spent on research in each of the past 10 years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Total departmental spending (DEL and AME) by DCSF or its predecessor( 1)  ( billion)  Social research expenditure as a proportion of total departmental expenditure (DEL and AME) by DCSF and its predecessors( 2)  (Percentage) 
			 1998-99 17.863 0.03 
			 1999-2000 18.970 0.03 
			 2000-01 20.885 0.05 
			 2001-02 23.482 0.03 
			 2002-03 20.263 0.05 
			 2003-04 21.789 0.05 
			 2004-05 22.734 0.06 
			 2005-06 26.497 0.08 
			 2006-07 54.568 0.05 
			 2007-08 60.887 0.04 
			 (1) Source: 1998-99 to 2001-02 figures are from the Department for Education and Skills departmental report 2003, Annex. 2002-03 figures onwards are from DCSF departmental report 2008, Annex A. (2) Details of the expenditure on research funded from the central research budget is available for the full period requested. However, expenditure on research funded by individual policy budgets has only been recorded centrally since 2005-06.

Education: Assessments

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract agreed and signed between the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and ETS in 2007.

Jim Knight: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The administration and marking of national curriculum tests is a function of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority that is delivered independently of Government. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) oversees the marking process which is delivered by ETS Europe, the new test delivery contractor, on the QCA's behalf. I have therefore asked David Gee, Managing Director of the NAA, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from David Gee, dated 21 July 2008:
	The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, right hon. Ed Balls, has asked me to write to you to answer parliamentary question 220150.
	The information you have requested is subject to an obligation of confidentiality and is commercially sensitive and cannot be provided.

Education: Assessments

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will arrange for the key stage 2 and key stage 3 standard assessment tests taken in 2008 to be re-marked.

Jim Knight: The National Assessment Agency, which administers the key stage 2 and key stage 3 national curriculum tests, has arrangements in place for schools to seek a review of the marking of test if they find evidence that the mark scheme has not been properly applied.

Extended Schools

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of  (a) secondary school children,  (b) primary school children and  (c) all children have access to the full extended school core offer in each local education authority.

Beverley Hughes: The following table shows the percentages of secondary school children, primary school children and all children who have access to the full extended school core offer in each local authority. The core offer comprises a varied menu of activities in primary and secondary schools; high quality childcare 8 am to 6 pm 48 weeks a year in primary schools; parenting support; swift and easy access to a wide range of specialist support services such as health and social care; and wider community access to ICT, sports and arts facilities, including adult learning.
	The pupil figures provided are based on information taken from DCSF's Edubase system and the percentages are in relation to the total school population in that local authority. The percentages have been rounded up to two decimal places.
	There are many other schools which are already providing individual parts of the core offer that are not yet included in these figures. Monthly variations can occur, resulting in figures going down as well, for example as a result of local school reorganisations. By 2010 we expect all schools to be offering access to extended services.
	
		
			  Percentage of children that have access to the full extended school core offer 
			  LA  Phase  Percentage 
			 Barking and Dagenham Primary 26.39 
			  Secondary 80.94 
			 Total  48.82 
			
			 Barnet Primary 66.27 
			  Secondary 53.62 
			 Total  60.91 
			
			 Barnsley Primary 79.45 
			  Secondary 91.86 
			 Total  84.59 
			
			 Bath and North East Somerset Primary 61.00 
			  Secondary 91.47 
			 Total  75.76 
			
			 Bedfordshire Primary 56.61 
			  Secondary 57.74 
			 Total  57.93 
			
			 Bexley Primary 75.39 
			  Secondary 98.34 
			 Total  86.62 
			
			 Birmingham Primary 94.83 
			  Secondary 96.29 
			 Total  95.40 
			
			 Blackburn with Darwen Primary 59.11 
			  Secondary 46.78 
			 Total  55.03 
			
			 Blackpool Primary 100.00 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Blackpool Total  100.00 
			 Bolton Primary 61.06 
			  Secondary 82.13 
			 Total  70.58 
			
			 Bournemouth Primary 63.32 
			  Secondary 61.15 
			 Total  62.42 
			
			 Bracknell Forest Primary 55.92 
			  Secondary 70.97 
			 Total  61.49 
			
			 Bradford Primary 58.69 
			  Secondary 64.82 
			 Total  60.22 
			
			 Brent Primary 49.89 
			  Secondary 83.36 
			 Total  64.33 
			
			 Brighton and Hove Primary 59.55 
			  Secondary 33.73 
			 Total  48.12 
			
			 Bristol City of Primary 57.58 
			  Secondary 94.39 
			 Total  70.64 
			
			 Bromley Primary 71.88 
			  Secondary 69.84 
			 Total  70.42 
			
			 Buckinghamshire Primary 55.68 
			  Secondary 90.66 
			 Total  71.93 
			
			 Bury Primary 58.09 
			  Secondary 84.89 
			 Total  69.70 
			
			 Calderdale Primary 63.46 
			  Secondary 50.83 
			 Total  57.68 
			
			 Cambridgeshire Primary 80.42 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  87.78 
			
			 Camden Primary 66.72 
			  Secondary 69.51 
			 Total  68.33 
			
			 Cheshire Primary 41.12 
			  Secondary 59.49 
			 Cheshire Total  49.34 
			 Cornwall Primary 69.79 
			  Secondary 80.03 
			 Total  74.23 
			
			 Corporation of London Primary 100.00 
			 Total  100.00 
			
			 Coventry Primary 100.00 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Coventry Total  100.00 
			
			 Croydon Primary 44.51 
			  Secondary 39.88 
			 Total  42.82 
			
			 Cumbria Primary 76.29 
			  Secondary 79.29 
			 Total  77.76 
			
			 Darlington Primary 54.49 
			  Secondary 74.72 
			 Total  63.41 
			
			 Derby City Primary 73.38 
			  Secondary 54.44 
			 Total  65.32 
			
			 Derbyshire Primary 64.28 
			  Secondary 45.67 
			 Total  55.61 
			
			 Devon Primary 59.45 
			  Secondary 66.61 
			 Total  62.64 
			
			 Doncaster Primary 79.05 
			  Secondary 65.24 
			 Total  72.31 
			
			 Dorset Primary 36.84 
			  Secondary 67.17 
			 Total  53.25 
			
			 Dudley Primary 74.80 
			  Secondary 81.23 
			 Total  76.74 
			
			 Durham Primary 59.79 
			  Secondary 69.78 
			 Total  64.20 
			
			 Ealing Primary 56.86 
			  Secondary 54.97 
			 Total  56.00 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire Primary 66.77 
			  Secondary 89.18 
			 Total  76.89 
			
			 East Sussex Primary 76.54 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  87.11 
			
			 Enfield Primary 58.45 
			  Secondary 59.37 
			 Total  58.51 
			
			 Essex Primary 43.91 
			  Secondary 59.64 
			 Total  51.05 
			
			 Gateshead Primary 100.00 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  100.00 
			
			 Gloucestershire Primary 61.40 
			  Secondary 79.70 
			 Total  69.81 
			
			 Greenwich Primary 67.62 
			  Secondary 57.13 
			 Total  63.44 
			
			 Hackney Primary 52.89 
			  Secondary 58.18 
			 Total  53.41 
			
			 Halton Primary 69.16 
			  Secondary 72.56 
			 Total  69.59 
			
			 Hammersmith and Fulham Primary 58.36 
			  Secondary 59.57 
			 Total  58.96 
			
			 Hampshire Primary 60.46 
			  Secondary 60.80 
			 Total  60.08 
			
			 Haringey Primary 38.68 
			  Secondary 37.08 
			 Total  38.71 
			
			 Harrow Primary 64.96 
			  Secondary 91.82 
			 Total  73.58 
			
			 Hartlepool Primary 94.43 
			  Secondary 86.04 
			 Total  90.30 
			 Havering Primary 100.00 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  100.00 
			
			 Herefordshire Primary 75.07 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  86.21 
			
			 Hertfordshire Primary 55.47 
			  Secondary 57.65 
			 Total  56.22 
			
			 Hillingdon Primary 46.92 
			  Secondary 52.00 
			 Total  48.88 
			
			 Hounslow Primary 44.16 
			  Secondary 85.30 
			 Total  63.00 
			
			 Isle of Wight Primary 74.20 
			  Secondary 93.88 
			 Total  86.44 
			
			 Isles of Scilly Primary 100.00 
			 Total  100.00 
			
			 Islington Primary 50.92 
			  Secondary 24.64 
			 Total  41.03 
			
			 Kensington and Chelsea Primary 66.49 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  78.32 
			
			 Kent Primary 68.24 
			  Secondary 65.23 
			 Total Kent Total 66.58 
			
			 Kingston upon Hull City Council Primary 76.36 
			  Secondary 79.86 
			 Total  78.01 
			
			 Kingston upon Thames Primary 100.00 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  99.11 
			
			 Kirklees Primary 65.43 
			  Secondary 71.90 
			 Total  67.81 
			
			 Knowsley Primary 51.22 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  68.42 
			 Lambeth Primary 49.94 
			  Secondary 24.67 
			 Total  43.25 
			
			 Lancashire Primary 57.59 
			  Secondary 52.63 
			 Total  55.09 
			
			 Leeds Primary 59.77 
			  Secondary 73.87 
			 Total  65.54 
			
			 Leicester Primary 65.16 
			  Secondary 87.93 
			 Total  74.08 
			
			 Leicestershire Primary 63.87 
			  Secondary 75.27 
			 Total  69.40 
			
			 Lewisham Primary 69.48 
			  Secondary 56.59 
			 Total  63.86 
			
			 Lincolnshire Primary 66.09 
			  Secondary 73.30 
			 Total  69.23 
			
			 Liverpool Primary 58.30 
			  Secondary 59.42 
			 Total  58.90 
			
			 Luton Primary 82.10 
			  Secondary 86.63 
			 Total  83.86 
			
			 Manchester Primary 39.99 
			  Secondary 94.08 
			 Total  59.99 
			
			 Medway Primary 55.91 
			  Secondary 57.99 
			 Total  56.82 
			
			 Merton Primary 71.37 
			  Secondary 49.66 
			 Total  63.41 
			
			 Middlesbrough Primary 91.25 
			  Secondary 89.33 
			 Total  89.74 
			
			 Milton Keynes Primary 97.38 
			  Secondary 87.07 
			 Total  93.01 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne Primary 77.18 
			  Secondary 85.30 
			 Total  80.48 
			
			 Newham Primary 56.95 
			  Secondary 73.98 
			 Total  63.21 
			
			 Norfolk Primary 50.54 
			  Secondary 82.87 
			 Total  65.42 
			
			 North East Lincolnshire Primary 57.15 
			  Secondary 28.33 
			 Total  46.43 
			
			 North Lincolnshire Primary 77.44 
			  Secondary 85.56 
			 Total  80.54 
			
			 North Somerset Primary 59.40 
			  Secondary 87.49 
			 Total  72.26 
			
			 North Tyneside Primary 58.06 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  76.82 
			
			 North Yorkshire Primary 52.85 
			  Secondary 79.23 
			 Total  65.43 
			
			 Northamptonshire Primary 38.31 
			  Secondary 83.34 
			 Total  58.47 
			
			 Northumberland Primary 72.51 
			  Secondary 83.88 
			 Total  79.28 
			
			 Nottingham Primary 60.12 
			  Secondary 61.36 
			 Total  60.74 
			
			 Nottinghamshire Primary 52.54 
			  Secondary 48.94 
			 Total  51.10 
			
			 Oldham Primary 53.16 
			  Secondary 50.38 
			 Total  52.15 
			
			 Oxfordshire Primary 52.85 
			  Secondary 78.06 
			 Total  64.06 
			 Peterborough Primary 70.59 
			  Secondary 81.16 
			 Total  74.08 
			
			 Plymouth Primary 60.04 
			  Secondary 61.58 
			 Total  60.68 
			
			 Poole Primary 45.34 
			  Secondary 54.15 
			 Total  49.26 
			
			 Portsmouth Primary 100.00 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  100.00 
			
			 Reading Primary 51.37 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  68.62 
			
			 Redbridge Primary 53.12 
			  Secondary 71.09 
			 Total  61.50 
			
			 Redcar and Cleveland Primary 98.25 
			  Secondary 84.20 
			 Total  92.28 
			
			 Richmond upon Thames Primary 56.65 
			  Secondary 49.02 
			 Total  54.44 
			
			 Rochdale Primary 51.40 
			  Secondary 54.18 
			 Total  52.88 
			
			 Rotherham Primary 55.13 
			  Secondary 56.33 
			 Total  55.93 
			
			 Rutland Primary 100.00 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  100.00 
			
			 Salford Primary 43.82 
			  Secondary 49.21 
			 Total  45.81 
			
			 Sandwell Primary 61.03 
			  Secondary 47.65 
			 Total  55.98 
			
			 Sefton Primary 58.97 
			  Secondary 57.98 
			 Total  58.77 
			 Sheffield Primary 43.87 
			  Secondary 58.22 
			 Total  49.80 
			
			 Shropshire Primary 65.75 
			  Secondary 84.15 
			 Total  73.54 
			
			 Slough Primary 60.76 
			  Secondary 42.25 
			 Total  54.37 
			
			 Solihull Primary 56.34 
			  Secondary 91.76 
			 Total  71.33 
			
			 Somerset Primary 52.57 
			  Secondary 67.34 
			 Total  59.35 
			
			 South Gloucestershire Primary 50.38 
			  Secondary 65.89 
			 Total  56.95 
			
			 South Tyneside Primary 98.18 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  98.68 
			
			 Southampton Primary 63.19 
			  Secondary 57.64 
			 Total  60.33 
			
			 Southend-on-Sea Primary 50.31 
			  Secondary 39.40 
			 Total  45.08 
			
			 Southwark Primary 57.05 
			  Secondary 43.36 
			 Total  53.12 
			
			 St. Helens Primary 54.39 
			  Secondary 71.58 
			 Total  61.21 
			
			 Staffordshire Primary 61.10 
			  Secondary 63.45 
			 Total  61.76 
			
			 Stockport Primary 71.87 
			  Secondary 63.24 
			 Total  67.96 
			
			 Stockton-on-Tees Primary 76.65 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  86.29 
			 Stoke-on-Trent Primary 83.90 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  90.35 
			
			 Suffolk Primary 61.63 
			  Secondary 76.33 
			 Total  69.95 
			
			 Sunderland Primary 94.38 
			  Secondary 85.99 
			 Total  90.98 
			
			 Surrey Primary 70.66 
			  Secondary 80.81 
			 Total  74.67 
			
			 Sutton Primary 63.53 
			  Secondary 62.00 
			 Total  62.36 
			
			 Swindon Primary 74.36 
			  Secondary 63.67 
			 Total  68.94 
			
			 Tameside Primary 62.99 
			  Secondary 39.89 
			 Total  52.46 
			
			 Telford and Wrekin Primary 76.95 
			  Secondary 83.83 
			 Total  79.58 
			
			 Thurrock Primary 57.50 
			  Secondary 88.74 
			 Total  68.87 
			
			 Torbay Primary 68.56 
			  Secondary 78.28 
			 Total  72.03 
			
			 Tower Hamlets Primary 70.92 
			  Secondary 85.48 
			 Total  75.96 
			
			 Trafford Primary 41.16 
			  Secondary 51.47 
			 Total  45.33 
			
			 Wakefield Primary 62.53 
			  Secondary 46.36 
			 Total  55.11 
			
			 Walsall Primary 55.18 
			  Secondary 58.84 
			 Total  57.30 
			 Waltham Forest Primary 65.56 
			  Secondary 73.25 
			 Total  68.86 
			
			 Wandsworth Primary 68.53 
			  Secondary 72.03 
			 Total  69.16 
			
			 Warrington Primary 44.75 
			  Secondary 60.71 
			 Total  52.24 
			
			 Warwickshire Primary 98.69 
			  Secondary 96.53 
			 Total  97.62 
			
			 West Berkshire Primary 49.21 
			  Secondary 73.54 
			 Total  61.79 
			
			 West Sussex Primary 62.75 
			  Secondary 61.76 
			 Total  61.76 
			
			 Westminster Primary 48.12 
			  Secondary 33.14 
			 Total  42.23 
			
			 Wigan Primary 38.55 
			  Secondary 55.46 
			 Total  46.58 
			
			 Wiltshire Primary 44.57 
			  Secondary 77.50 
			 Total  59.80 
			
			 Windsor and Maidenhead Primary 47.70 
			  Secondary 79.78 
			 Total  64.86 
			
			 Wirral Primary 69.47 
			  Secondary 59.57 
			 Total  64.52 
			
			 Wokingham Primary 50.73 
			  Secondary 81.32 
			 Total  64.65 
			
			 Wolverhampton Primary 48.30 
			  Secondary 50.14 
			 Total  50.06 
			
			 Worcestershire Primary 56.94 
			  Secondary 51.68 
			 Total  54.09 
			 York Primary 99.58 
			  Secondary 100.00 
			 Total  99.76

Family Law

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of family court cases involved a Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service representative in the last period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is not available. Separate statistics are collected by the Ministry of Justice and CAFCASS; proportions cannot be calculated from the statistics because they are collected for different business purposes.

Food

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on  (a) food and  (b) food of British origin in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007. It spent 495,176 on food in 2007-08.
	Information on the amount of spend broken down into food of British origin could be provided only at disproportionate costs. A report was produced by DEFRA and issued to Parliament on the proportion of domestically produced food used in Government departments during the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. DEFRA proposes to publish data on the value of contracts let for food and catering contracts (including the value of food provided under the catering contracts) by the end of 2008 which will allow calculations to be made.

Literacy: Hearing Impaired

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what arrangements are in place to ensure that the teaching of literacy is accessible to deaf children, with particular regard to the use of phonics;
	(2)  what arrangements are in place to ensure deaf children who fail to attain level 3 at key stage 2 English are receiving catch-up support tailored to their needs;

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what steps he is planning to implement to reduce the gap in attainment between deaf children and their hearing peers; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Our key priority is to personalise learning by focusing on each pupil's progression so that every child achieves their potential. Our renewed literacy strategy builds on Sir Jim Rose's independent review of the teaching of early reading by putting phonics at the heart of 'teaching reading in order to help to raise attainment levels amongst all pupils.
	The review found that there was a wide range of expert support and guidance available to help schools match provision to need regarding the teaching of literacy.
	Through the national strategies we will continue to encourage teachers to apply inclusive principles to address issues of accessibility, including the needs of children with severe sensory impairment such as deafness.
	The primary national strategy and other partners provide a range of intervention programmes to help those children who struggle most in reading and writing. These include the Every Child a Reader and Every Child a Writer programmes. The former provides intensive one to one support in reading for five and six year olds, the latter is a new pilot currently under development but will include one-to-one intervention in years three and four in the areas of writing that children find hardest to master.
	Extra help is available for those children who need it to prevent them from falling behind: we provide early literacy support (ELSyear 1), Y3 literacy support (Y3LS) and further literacy support (FLSyear 5). These three packages are designed to help those children who, without additional help would not reach level 4 at the end of year 6.

Overseas Students

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the contribution made by overseas gap year students to the education sector in the United Kingdom.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 7 July 2008
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Department does not have any information on the numbers of people from overseas undertaking gap years in the United Kingdom, nor can we mate any assessment of the contribution that they make to the education sector here.

Pre-school Education

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many free early education places have been available in  (a) Kingston-Upon-Hull,  (b) East Riding of Yorkshire,  (c) north Lincolnshire and  (d) north east Lincolnshire in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The available information on the number of part-time funded places filled by three and four-year-olds in Kingston-upon-Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and north-east Lincolnshire local authority areas is shown in the tables.
	All three and four-year-olds are entitled to a free part-time early education place for 12.5 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. From 2010, this offer will be extended from 12.5 to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year.
	
		
			  Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1, 2)  fitted by three and four-year-olds. Local authority: Kingston upon Hull, City of: Position in January each year 
			   3-year-olds  4-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total 3-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total 4-year-olds 
			 1997 2,200 n/a 2,200 n/a n/a (5, 6)3,500 
			 1998 2,300 n/a 2,300 n/a n/a (5, 6)3,500 
			 1999 2,300 n/a 2,300 n/a n/a (5, 6)3,300 
			 2000 2,100 (7)460 2,600 n/a n/a (5, 6)3,500 
			 2001 2,000 (7)520 2,600 n/a n/a (5, 6)3,200 
			 2002 1,900 (7)650 2,600 2,700 (5)270 3,000 
			 2003 1,800 (7)760 2,600 2,600 (8)290 2,900 
			 2004 1,700 (9)740 2,500 2,500 (10)280 2,800 
			 2005 1,700 (9)810 2,500 2,400 (10)260 2,700 
			 2006 1,600 (9)790 2,400 2,400 (10)270 2,700 
			 2007 1,700 (9)870 2,600 2,300 (10)280 2,600 
			 2008 1,800 (9)940 2,700 2,500 (10)300 2,800 
			 (1 )A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3 )Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4 )Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6 )For the years 1997 to 2001, four-year-old sub-national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (8 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (9 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (10 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1, 2)  fitted by three and four-year-olds. Local authority:  East Riding of Yorkshire : Position in January each year 
			   3-year-olds  4-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total 3-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total 4-year-olds 
			 1997 1,100 n/a 1,100 n/a n/a (5, 6)3,200 
			 1998 1,100 n/a 1,100 n/a n/a (5, 6)3,400 
			 1999 1,100 n/a 1,100 n/a n/a (5, 6)3,400 
			 2000 1,000 (7) 1,000 n/a n/a (5, 6)3,500 
			 2001 1,000 (8)140 1,200 n/a n/a (5, 6)3,400 
			 2002 1,100 (8)140 1,200 2,800 (5)730 3,500 
			 2003 1,100 (8)1,200 2,200 2,700 (9)900 3,600 
			 2004 1,000 (10)1,200 2,200 2,600 (11)820 3,400 
			 2005 1,000 (10)1,500 2,500 2,400 (11)710 3,100 
			 2006 960 (10)1,800 2,700 2,500 (11)740 3,200 
			 2007 990 (10)1,900 2,900 2,400 (11)730 3,100 
			 2008 1,100 (10)1,900 3,000 2,400 (11)820 3,200 
			 (1 )A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3 )Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4 )Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6 )For the years 1997 to 2001, four-year-old sub-national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Less than five. (8)( )Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (9)( )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (10)Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (11)( )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1, 2)  fitted by three and four-year-olds. Local authority: North Lincolnshire: Position in January each year 
			   3-year-olds  4-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total 3-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total 4-year-olds 
			 1997 520 n/a 520 n/a n/a (5, 6)1,800 
			 1998 550 n/a 550 n/a n/a (5, 6)1,800 
			 1999 550 n/a 550 n/a n/a (5, 6)1,800 
			 2000 590 (7) 600 n/a n/a (5, 6)2,000 
			 2001 640 (8)540 1,200 n/a n/a (5, 6)1,800 
			 2002 660 (8)760 1,400 1,500 (5)200 1,700 
			 2003 570 (8)700 1,300 1,600 (9)220 1,800 
			 2004 690 (10)820 1,500 1,400 (11)220 1,600 
			 2005 680 (10)800 1,500 1,600 (11)230 1,800 
			 2006 770 (10)710 1,500 1,600 (11)170 1,700 
			 2007 780 (10)720 1,500 1,500 (11)170 1,700 
			 2008 810 (10)810 1,600 1,500 (11)200 1,700 
			 (1 )A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3 )Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4 )Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6 )For the years 1997 to 2001, four-year-old sub-national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Less than five. (8 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (9 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (10)Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (11 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1, 2)  fitted by three and four-year-olds. Local authority:  North East Lincolnshire : Position in January each year 
			   3-year-olds  4-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total 3-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total 4-year-olds 
			 1997 920 n/a 920 n/a n/a (5, 6)2,100 
			 1998 980 n/a 980 n/a n/a (5, 6)2,000 
			 1999 1,000 n/a 1,000 n/a n/a (5, 6)2,000 
			 2000 1,000 (7)520 1,500 n/a n/a (5, 6)2,000 
			 2001 930 (7)550 1,500 n/a n/a (5, 6)1,900 
			 2002 940 (7)620 1,600 1,700 (5)230 1,900 
			 2003 990 (7)690 1,700 1,600 (8)240 1,900 
			 2004 870 (9)730 1,600 1,700 (10)240 1,900 
			 2005 900 (9)650* 1,500 1,500 (10)220 1,700 
			 2006 920 (9)650 1,600 1,500 (10)300 1,800 
			 2007 990 (9)710 1,700 1,500 (10)240 1,700 
			 2008 1,000 (9)690 1,700 1,600 (10)220 1,800 
			 (1 )A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3 )Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4 )Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6 )For the years 1997 to 2001, four-year-old sub-national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (8 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (9 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (10 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in statistical first release 12/2008 Provision for children under five years of age in EnglandJanuary 2008 in May, which is available on my Department's website
	www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Pupils: Intimidation

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has conducted into the effect of stress caused by bullying in schools.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 21 July 2008
	We are not aware of any specific research into the effect of stress caused by bullying in schools. However, we are aware that many external studies link being bullied to outcomes such as anxiety, depression, lowered self-esteem and, in extreme cases, suicide. The Anti-Bullying Alliance has carried out a number of research projects on behalf of my Department around various aspects of bullying, and the findings have informed our wider work to prevent and tackle this happening in schools. My Department has also recently tendered for research into the effectiveness of our anti-bullying strategies.

School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities had data included in the School Food Trust survey of school meal up-take 2007-08 for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the statement provided to the House on 10 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 80-82WS, entitled The take up of school meals 2007-08 and future support for Improving take up.
	All 150 local authorities (LAs) in England were asked to provide information about both primary and secondary school take up for 2007-08 as well as more general information on factors influencing changes in take up in the previous year. Responses have been received from 109.
	The data were collected 'in confidence', with the promise that findings would be reported at no lower than regional level. LAs were asked, however, if they would be willing for data collected to be used to identify their individual LA. Of the 109 LAs that responded, the following said that they would:
	Barking and Dagenham
	Bath and North East Somerset
	Bexley
	Birmingham
	Blackpool
	Bolton
	Bracknell Forest
	Bradford
	Brighton and Hove
	Bristol, City of
	Bury
	Calderdale
	Cheshire
	Coventry
	Cumbria
	Derbyshire
	Devon
	Doncaster
	Dudley
	Durham
	Ealing
	East Riding of Yorkshire
	East Sussex
	Essex
	Greenwich
	Halton
	Hampshire
	Haringey
	Hartlepool
	Havering
	Herefordshire
	Hillingdon
	Isle of Wight
	Islington
	Kingston upon Thames
	Kirklees
	Knowsley
	Lambeth
	Leeds
	Leicester
	Lewisham
	Lincolnshire
	Liverpool
	Luton
	Manchester
	Middlesbrough
	Newham
	Norfolk
	North Lincolnshire
	North Somerset
	North Yorkshire
	Northumberland
	Nottingham
	Nottinghamshire
	Plymouth
	Redbridge
	Rochdale
	Rotherham
	Salford
	Sefton
	Sheffield
	Shropshire
	Solihull
	Staffordshire
	Stockton-on-Tees
	Stoke-on-Trent
	Sunderland
	Sutton
	Swindon
	Tameside
	Tower Hamlets
	Trafford
	Wakefield
	Waltham Forest
	Wandsworth
	Warrington
	Warwickshire
	West Sussex
	Westminster
	Wigan
	Wiltshire
	Wokingham
	Worcestershire

School Meals: Waste

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance he provides to schools on reducing waste from the meals they provide.

Kevin Brennan: In April 2008 the School Food Trust published comprehensive guidance for schools and local authorities that provide school meals entitled A fresh look at procurementefficiency and sustainability. The guide includes a section on waste management with three recommendations:
	To review the school meals service to identify opportunities to reduce food waste;
	To review the school meals service to identify opportunities to minimise packaging waste; and
	To explore opportunities for diverting waste products for re-use, recycling or resource reclamation.
	Case studies are supplied for each recommendation and links are provided to sources of further information.
	Schools are advised that reducing food waste may be one of the most productive ways to improve the overall sustainability of the school food system. The guide can be viewed on the School Food Trust's website at:
	http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/doc_item.asp?Docld=79DocCatld=9

Schools: Attendance

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average attendance rate at  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in each local education authority area has been in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The latest available information on attendance rates for primary and secondary schools covers the school year 2006/07, this table together with information for the school years 2002/03 to 2005/06 has been placed in the Library.

Schools: Crimes of Violence

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of violence against teachers in schools.

Kevin Brennan: Violence to school staff is rare but any incident is one too many. We have therefore made it clear that head teachers may permanently exclude pupils for violence, even for a first offence. We are also helping to reduce the risk of violence through a national programme to strengthen schools' capacity to manage pupils' behaviour. This includes giving schools access to specialist training and advice, strengthening their legal powers to discipline pupils, reaffirming their legal power to use reasonable force to restrain pupils, giving them legal power to search pupils for weapons and encouraging them to form safer school partnerships that base police officers in schools. Sir Alan Steer is advising on how the programme could be further strengthened.

Schools: Disabled

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many  (a) secondary and  (b) primary schools have produced a disability equality scheme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that all schools produce a disability equality scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 16 July 2008,  Official Report, column 499W.

Schools: Greater Manchester

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the revenue balance was for schools in each local authority area in Greater Manchester at the end of each of the last three financial years.

Jim Knight: The available information on school revenue balances for the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester for 2004-05 to 2006-07 is contained in the following tables. These figures are in cash terms.
	Data for 2007-08 is currently being collected by the Department, and should be available in October 2008.
	
		
			  2004-05 
			 Of which: 
			  Local authority name  Total number of schools  Total revenue balance ()  Committed revenue balance  Uncommitted revenue balance 
			  England 22,836 1,532,855,786 923,320,611 609,535,175 
			  North West and Merseyside 3,405 218,059,504 119,269,811 98,789,693 
			
			  Greater Manchester 1,187 67,137,162 34,259,994 32,877,168 
			 Bolton 127 2,715,832 2,563,660 152,171 
			 Bury 83 5,902,581 2,516,215 3,386,366 
			 Manchester 180 11,005,500 8,344,877 2,660,623 
			 Oldham 118 8,177,688 6,871,180 1,306,508 
			 Rochdale 100 7,031,029 1,136,182 5,894,848 
			 Salford 104 4,426,277 (1,507,456) 5,933,733 
			 Stockport 131 7,289,479 2,030,241 5,259,238 
			 Tameside 101 5,376,019 173,522 5,202,497 
			 Trafford 97 5,752,347 3,917,445 1,834,902 
			 Wigan 146 9,460,410 8,214,128 1,246,282 
		
	
	
		
			  200 5-06 
			 Of which: 
			  Local authority name  Total number of schools  Total revenue balance ()  Committed revenue balance  Uncommitted revenue balance 
			  England 22,638 1,570,348,360 988,073,529 582,274,831 
			  North West and Merseyside 3,365 225,368,853 134,064,078 91,304,774 
			  
			  Greater Manchester 1,168 69,564,861 39,410,861 30,154,001 
			 Bolton 125 3,820,404 1,347,954 2,472,450 
			 Bury 81 4,676,053 1,353,161 3,322,892 
			 Manchester 177 9,265,782 9,002,084 263,698 
			 Oldham 113 8,801,124 7,004,622 1,796,502 
			 Rochdale 99 7,748,401 2,737,678 5,010,723 
			 Salford 103 4,576,053 (214,294) 4,790,348 
			 Stockport 130 7,198,242 3,088,284 4,109,958 
			 Tameside 100 5,118,804 311,747 4,807,057 
			 Trafford 97 7,209,186 5,017,235 2,191,951 
			 Wigan 143 11,150,812 9,762,390 1,388,422 
		
	
	
		
			  200 6-07 
			 Of which: 
			  Local authority name  Total number of schools  Total revenue balance ()  Committed revenue balance  Uncommitted revenue balance  Community focused extended school revenue balance 
			  England 22,470 1,670,198,878 1,036,036,034 614,844,776 19,318,069 
			  North West and Merseyside 3,332 246,882,010 132,369,672 112,931,045 1,581,293 
			 
			  Greater Manchester 1,156 72,861,278 38,463,254 33,948,857 449,167 
			 Bolton 126 3,351,255 (321,719) 3,632,791 40,184 
			 Bury 81 5,728,462 2,649,468 3,078,993 0 
			 Manchester 175 11,816,249 9,760,778 1,925,052 130,419 
			 Oldham 112 7,827,016 6,814,741 1,224,019 (211,744) 
			 Rochdale 98 8,777,866 1,753,725 7,024,141 0 
			 Salford 102 3,911,644 335,152 3,576,162 330 
			 Stockport 121 8,707,478 3,351,080 5,356,398 0 
			 Tameside 99 5,122,748 85,346 4,978,598 58,804 
			 Trafford 97 7,367,534 5,758,711 1,454,750 154,072 
			 Wigan 145 10,251,028 8,275,972 1,697,954 277,102

Secondary Education: Disabled

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many secondary schools in Leeds put a disability equality scheme in place in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: We expect all schools and local authorities to have in place a disability equality scheme. However, data on those schools that have implemented them is not collected Centrally.

Secondary Education: Disadvantaged

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils receive free school meals in the  (a) top 100,  (b) top 500,  (c) bottom 500 and  (d) bottom 100 performing secondary schools; and what the national average number of pupils in secondary schools receiving free meals is.

Kevin Brennan: Information on the number of pupils who are known to be eligible and are claiming their free school meal entitlement by school performance has been placed in the Library.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how the Government plans to engage with  (a) the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission,  (b) the Equality and Human Rights Commission and  (c) the Scottish Human Rights Commission in formulating a response to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's concluding observations.

Beverley Hughes: The UK Government and devolved Administrations will seek dialogues with a range of organisations, including the respective Human Rights Commissions, when considering the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's concluding observations.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Adult Education: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision for adult education in north Yorkshire.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council has responsibility for ensuring that there is sufficient, good quality provision for post-16 learners in further education delivered by FE colleges and providers in England. Quality in north Yorkshire is assured through the same assessment processes as all other areas of England in that all further education colleges and providers are subject to inspection by Ofsted.
	In line with the LSC's national approach to commissioning, regional LSCs will discuss with each FE college and provider their contribution to the delivery of skills for employability and further progression in learning in line with Government priorities. The performance of FE colleges and providers in delivering LSC-funded FE provision is also considered against the published national minimum levels of performance.
	These discussions will inform decisions on whether the range of provision available in an area is sufficient and of good quality, and whether there is a need to tender for new provision, expand existing provision and/or replace poor quality provision. The offer to all local citizens, particularly those in disadvantaged neighbourhoods is central to these decisions.

Apprentices

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1131W, on apprentices, what the reasons are for the planning assumption that the number of adult apprenticeship starts will reduce between 2009-10 and 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The adult apprenticeship start figures are converted from the planned figures used for the 2008-09 Learning and Skills Council grant letter and LSC statement of priorities. These figures were produced before the apprenticeships review and were on a different basis from the starts measure that is now the agreed measure following that review. For the 2009-10 LSC grant letter and LSC statement of priorities, due to be published later this year, we will be revisiting the planned figures for apprenticeships on the agreed basis of starts and ensuring that our apprenticeship trajectory matches the ambition that we set out in world-class apprenticeships. We will continue to provide funding to expand the apprenticeship programme to meet the needs of both young people and adults.

Apprentices: Construction

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he plans to take to ensure that more apprenticeship placements are made available for young people wishing to acquire skills in the construction industry.

David Lammy: World-class Apprenticeships (WCA) announced a package of measures designed to boost capacity and make it easier for employers to take on apprentices A construction taskforce is working directly with the Learning and Skills Council to increase the numbers of apprenticeships in the sector. Last year saw the highest number of starts, 21,000, in construction for four years.
	Funding for apprenticeships will increase by almost a quarter between 2007/08 and 2010/11 to over 1 billion.
	We are also working to ensure major developments such as the Olympic and Paralympic games include opportunities for apprenticeships. Already the Olympic Development Authority has committed to get at least 2,000 people in apprenticeships and work placements (up to 2012) at the Olympic park and other venues that the ODA is working on or building.
	A national apprenticeship service, announced in the WCA, will have a particular focus of giving young people the opportunities to explore 'non-traditional' areas, for instance, potential female apprentices will be encouraged to look at trades concerned with construction and the built environment.

Computers: Graduates

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of trends in numbers of computer science graduates in England.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 21 July 2008
	There have been on average some 18,500 computer science first degree qualifiers over the five years to 2006-07. While levels in 2006-07 are lower than in the past five years it is too early to draw conclusions about trends. The labour force survey shows that adults with a degree in computing have the 4th highest employment rates.
	I am encouraged by the range of contact currently taking place between the Sector Skills Council (e-skills UK), the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the higher education sector to ensure their IT and computing courses continue to meet the needs of industry. The ITMB degree framework helps prepare undergraduates for the changing role of the IT professional by providing them with the technology and business skills employers need. E-skills are also supporting activity in schools such as the 14-19 diploma in information technology and computer clubs for girls which improve the information available to pupils and can help drive demand for computer science courses.

Computers: Graduates

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students at UK universities graduated with degrees in  (a) computer science,  (b) mathematics and  (c) physics in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 14 July 2008
	The latest available information is given in the table. Comparable figures for the 2007-08 academic year will be available in January 2009.
	
		
			  Number of First Degree Qualifiers( 1)  in Computer Science, Mathematical Sciences and Physics: UK higher education institutions( 2) 
			  Subject of study  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Computer Science(3) 18,240 20,010 19,775 18,495 16,255 
			 Mathematical Sciences(4) 5,100 5,150 4,990 5,260 5,385 
			 Physics 2,205 2,180 2,225 2,345 2,255 
			 (1) Figures cover qualifiers of all domiciles and all modes of study. (2) Figures exclude those qualifying from the Open University due to inconsistencies in their method of recording subject of study over the time period. (3) Computer Science as a subject area includes the following principal subjects: Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Others in Computing Science. (4) Mathematical Sciences as a subject area includes the following principal subjects: Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics, Others in Mathematical and Computing Sciences, Others  Mathematical Sciences, Balanced Combination of Maths Sciences and informatics.  Note:  Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record. 
		
	
	The STEM programme aims to increase the number of young people taking up post-16 qualifications in the area of STEM, which includes ICT. By ensuring that more young people are going into mathematics and the sciences at post-16 we are enabling more people to take up degrees and other HE qualifications in ICT and computing fields.
	Sixty four per cent. of computing graduates work in STEM jobs. This is slightly higher than all STEM graduates (48 per cent.), which suggests that either there is slightly higher demand for computing graduates so that computing graduates are more likely to have the right skills that employers are looking for than other STEM graduates. Five per cent. of e-skills employers have skills-shortage vacancies, the same as the UK average. There are still some 36 per cent. of computing graduates or 73,000 individuals not working in a STEM job, who could be used to overcome any excess demand.
	I am encouraged by the range of contact currently taking place between the Sector Skills Council (e-skills UK), the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the higher education sector to ensure their IT and computing courses continue to meet the needs of industry. The ITMB degree framework helps prepare undergraduates for the changing rote of the IT professional by providing them with the technology and business skills employers need. E-skills are also supporting activity in schools such as the 14-19 diploma in information technology and computer clubs for girls which improve the information available to pupils and can help drive demand for computer science courses.

Departmental Marketing

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the cost was of  (a) internet and website design and hosting,  (b) print media design and  (c) broadcast media of each of his Department's public information campaigns since 1997.

David Lammy: The Department for innovation, Universities and Skills was created as a result of machinery of Government changes in June 2007.
	 (a) The costs for website setup, design and ongoing maintenance and content updates in the financial year 2007/08 was 89,532.16. The cost of web hosting is unknown as it is wrapped up in a larger contract, but would very roughly estimate this to be no more than 25,000 pa.
	 (b) We are unable to provide costs for print media design as there is no central record of leaflets, reports or printed material for a public audience. Print media design is commissioned by many teams within the Department and it would be disproportionate in cost to gather this information in detail.
	 (c) The costs for broadcast media for the public information campaigns since the Departments inception are 1,520,004.80.

Departmental Written Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how long on average his Department took to answer  (a) ordinary written and  (b) named-day questions in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: Information on the average number of days taken to answer parliamentary questions is not readily available in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dudley College

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the findings of the recent Ofsted report on Dudley college.

Bill Rammell: I am delighted to say that Dudley college of technology was graded good for overall effectiveness in its recent inspection by Ofsted. I commend the college on the significant improvements they have made since their previous Ofsted inspection in February 2007.
	These results show that with strong leadership and management, and good quality teaching, colleges can greatly improve their performance to meet the needs of learners and employers and play a key role in the local community they serve. I would like to congratulate the staff and students at Dudley College of Technology on this transformation.
	The improvements made by Dudley college of technology demonstrate that the measures we introduced in the FE reform White Paper to tackle and eliminate under performance, are clearly working.

Education: Employment

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what his latest estimate is of the number of adults who after taking part in publicly-financed education courses found work with salaries between  (a) 10,000 to 15,000,  (b) 15,000 to 20,000,  (c) 20,000 to 25,000 and  (d) above 25,000.

Bill Rammell: The information requested is not available. However, DIUS does publish information on labour force survey estimates of hourly earnings according to highest qualification held in the Statistical First Release, Highest Qualification Held by Adults: England 2007 available at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgatewav/DB/SFR/s000798/index.shtml.
	Information on the salaries of newly qualified first degree graduates (based on their employment situation six months after graduation) is collected and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, but the information is only available for around 50 per cent. of graduates who enter employment. The latest such information is available at
	http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php/content/view/1237/161/.

Education: Prisons

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what procedures are in place to ensure inmates are able to continue and complete study courses following  (a) (i) managed and (ii) involuntary moves by HM prison service to other detention facilities,  (b) the granting of early release and  (c) the completion of custodial sentences.

David Lammy: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The Learning and Skills Council contracts with providers to deliver learning and skills to prisoners. Transferring prisoners are able to continue learning with the provider at the receiving establishment, and it is a contractual requirement on the provider to try to ensure that learning can be continued on release.

Education: Prisons

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he has taken to improve completion rates for inmates undertaking study courses.

David Lammy: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The Learning and Skills Council took responsibility for learning and skills in prisons, and let new contracts through a refreshed set of providers in summer 2006. The specification for those contracts put in place a detailed requirement for the delivery of learning that has led to 55 per cent. of learners in the 2006/07 academic year completing their learning aims, which represents a significant achievement at a time when the prison service is facing real challenges in terms of overcrowding and the consequent need to move prisoners around the estate. The Learning and Skills Council is developing arrangements, including a new specification, for the successor contracts it will let for August 2009 that will incorporate payment arrangements to reward learner outcomes.

Education: Prisons

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he has taken to improve levels of educational attainment among the prison population in England and Wales.

David Lammy: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The Government have put in place a significant programme of action to improve levels of educational attainment among the prison population in England and Wales. Funding for offender learning has more than trebled since the predecessors of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families took responsibility for offender learning in 2001 and is expected to exceed 170 million in 2008-09. We have introduced heads of learning and skills in prisons to take day to day responsibility for managing the learning and skills. Prisons are now subject to the same inspection arrangements as the rest of the further education sector, delivered by Ofsted and Estyn. Inspection outcomes are improving and the proportion of failed inspections are falling to similar levels as those in community adult learning settings. In England we have given responsibility for planning and funding offender learning to the Learning and Skills Council, operating collaboratively with the National Offender Management Service in commissioning the service to be delivered. Since the Learning and Skills Council took responsibility for the service, participation rates have risen from an estimated 36 per cent. in the 2006-07 academic year to 39 per cent. in the August 2007 to May 2008. Similar arrangements apply in Wales, with the director of offender management Wales playing a significant role in planning the service.
	We are continuing to drive forward the agenda of attainment and employment through the programme of activity set out in 'Reducing Re-offending Through Skills and Employment: Next Steps' (December 2006) with two test bed regions (the west midlands and the east of England) trialling the plans set out in the document, ready for implementation from summer 2009.

Educational Psychology: Training

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether trainee educational psychologists are expected to pay for their transport costs when visiting pupils during their placements; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	Detailed arrangements for the support offered to individual trainee educational psychologists (EPs) are matters for local determination between the host local authority, the trainee and training provider.
	Under the current postgraduate grant scheme for educational psychology training places, administered by the Children's Workforce Development Council, trainees receive a bursary of 14,500 (14,900 with London weighting) in their the first year. Arrangements vary for years two and three depending on what has been agreed regionally.
	Where trainees are employed as trainee EPs, they are entitled to the same services and allowances as any other employees of the local authority, including being able to claim back expenses. Where trainees are on bursaries, local authorities are not necessarily bound by the same obligations. Some training providers are making provision to cover trainees' expenses, up to a fixed amount, where they receive a bursary.
	The CWDC will keep the current arrangements under review in the light of operational experience.

Fish

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much fish was procured by his Department since establishment, broken down by species; and what amount and value of such fish met the Marine Stewardship Council standard in each such year, broken down by species.

David Lammy: We do not have data on how much fish this Department has procured.

Further Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the 10 most popular courses delivered in further education colleges at Level 4 and above were in 2005-06; and how many students enrolled on each.

David Lammy: Table 1 shows the 10 most popular specific qualification aims at Level 4 and above in 2005/06.
	
		
			  Table 1: Level 4 and above learning aims in 2005/06 by qualification/course 10 most popular qualifications in further education colleges 
			  Qualification/course title  Number of learning aims 
			 AAT Level 4 NVQ in Accounting 8,990 
			 City and Guilds Level 4 Certificate in FE Teaching Stage 1 8,890 
			 City and Guilds Level 4 Certificate in FE Teaching Stage 2 5,850 
			 Unitisation (approved external qualification) Higher Level, Business, Administration and Law 4,680 
			 City and Guilds Level 4 NVQ in Registered Managers (Adults) 3,100 
			 PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) 1,970 
			 Graduateship 1,920 
			 City and Guilds Level 4 NVQ in Health and Social Care 1,820 
			 City and Guilds Level 4 Award in Conducing Internal Quality Assurance of the Assessment Process 1,810 
			 EDEXCEL Level 4 NVQ in Registered Managers (Adults) 1,730 
			 Other qualifications/courses 116,300 
			 Total 157,070 
			  Notes: 1. A learner may be enrolled on more than one learning aim. 2. These figures include both funded and non-funded teaming aims.  Source: FE Individualised Learner Record. 
		
	
	Table 2 shows the 10 most popular Sector Subject Areas for teaming aims at Level 4 and above in 2005/06, and the total number of learning aims at this level in further education colleges.
	
		
			  Table 2: Level 4 and above learning aims in 2005/06 by Sector Subject Area (SSA)10 most popular SSAs in further education colleges 
			  Sector Subject Area (tier 2)  Number of learning aims 
			 Teaching and Lecturing 34,590 
			 Business Management 21,870 
			 Health and Social Care 18,090 
			 Accounting and Finance 11,310 
			 Crafts, Creative Arts and Design 8,270 
			 Business, Administration and Law 6,660 
			 Engineering 6,510 
			 Building and Construction 5,740 
			 ICT Practitioners 5,540 
			 Performing Arts 3,150 
			 Other Sector Subject Areas 35,330 
			 Total 157,070 
			  Notes: 1. A learner may be enrolled on more than one learning aim. 2. These figures include both funded and non-funded learning aims.  Source: FE Individualised Learner Record.

Further Education: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the performance of further education colleges in Halifax in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: Ofsted is the body responsible for assessing the quality of provision in further education colleges. Ofsted inspected Calderdale college in November 2007 and published its judgment that the provision is satisfactory in January 2008. In addition, the Learning and Skills Council as part of its commissioning process discusses and reviews performance with all providers. As a matter of course, west Yorkshire LSC will be conducting this activity with Calderdale college on an annual basis.

Further Education: Student Wastage

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the reasons why students in further education who failed to complete their courses did so in the last three years.

Bill Rammell: Our research shows that reasons for leaving from FE courses are quite disparate (reflecting the wide range of learners, courses, and learning modes). The most common main reason for leaving FE was that the course was not what the learner wanted to do after all.
	We will be establishing a universal adult advancement and careers service through the merger of nextstep and learndirect-advice to be fully operational from autumn 2010 which will help individuals make the choices on learning that are right for them.
	We want to make sure that we are meeting the needs of learners. It is encouraging that success rates have increased in FErising year-on-year since 2000/01 to 78 per cent. in 2006/07, and that over 90 per cent. of learners are satisfied with their overall learning experience.
	Full details of the research can be found in the regular national learner satisfaction survey undertaken by the Learning and Skills Council
	http://research,lsc.gov.uk/LSC+Research/published/learner-satisfaction/
	and the survey of early leavers from further education and wok-based teaming courses
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR849.pdf
	The Learning and Skills Council have commissioned a further two projects;
	(1) Learner journeys on several different Learner Support programmes.
	(2) Understanding the needs of disadvantaged learners and non learners.

Higher Education

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what progress has been made on including UK material in the best practice compendium on the modernisation of universities, as referred to in section 2.3 of EU document 2008/C 86/01.

Bill Rammell: The UK has been actively engaged in developing the compendium and has contributed several examples of best practice to it. The compendium will be a web-based tool and it will allow access for policy makers, practitioners and the wider public to search and download information. It is currently being tested and is expected to go live by the end of this month.

Higher Education: Admissions

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many students began undergraduate courses in universities in England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many students domiciled in England began undergraduate courses in universities in Wales in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many students domiciled in Wales began undergraduate courses in universities in England in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the tables. Table 1 covers entrants to full-time undergraduate courses, and table 2 covers entrants to part-time courses.
	Comparable figures for the 2007/08 academic year will be available in January 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1: Entrants to full-time undergraduate courses by domicile and location of institution English and Welsh higher education institutionsAcademic years 2002/03 to 2006/07 
			 Of which : 
			  Academic year  Location of institution  All domiciles  England  Wales 
			 2002/03 England 344,235 287.485 6,400 
			  Wales 24,355 9,080 12,705 
			 2003/04 England 350,410 289,885 6,410 
			  Wales 25.200 9.095 12,965 
			 2004/05 England 354,605 293,700 6,190 
			  Wales 24,365 9,105 12,180 
			 2005/06 England 372,710 312,110 6,365 
			  Wales 24,780 9,510 12,160 
			 2006/07 England 359,355 296,725 5,460 
			  Wales 25,565 8,735 13.515 
			  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Entrants to part-time undergraduate courses by domicile and location of institution English and Welsh higher education institutionsAcademic years 2002/03 to 2006/07 
			 Of which: 
			  Academic year  Location of institution  All domiciles  England  Wales 
			 2002/03 England 261.070 236,405 3,385 
			  Wales 21,100 2,400 17,450 
			 2003/04 England 272,185 243,970 3,820 
			  Wales 21,180 2,475. 17,485 
			 2004/05(1) England 266,770 237.295 3,495 
			  Wales 22,575 2,600 18,325 
			 2005/06 England 284,965 249.660 4.280 
			  Wales 22,800 2,935 17,610 
			 2006/07 England 287,215 249,125 4,890 
			  Wales 22,890 2,605 17,560 
			 (1 )The increase in entrants between 2004/05 and 2005/06 may be greater than in reality as a consequence of a problem identified with data submitted by the Open University (OU) in the 2004/05 academic year.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	Higher education is one of the most important investments a young person can make as graduates earn, on average, far more than people with A-levels or similar who do not go in to higher education. Over the working life, the average graduate will earn comfortably over 100,000 more, after tax and in today's valuation, than a similar individual who completed their education with two or more A-levels.
	In recent years we have reformed student finance, offering improvements to both full-time and part-time students. For new entrants to full-time higher education in 2008/09 we have increased the means-testing threshold below which students are entitled to a full maintenance grant up from 17,910 for entrants in 2007/08 to 25,000. The threshold for a partial grant will increase from 38,330 for entrants in 2007/08 to 60,005. These thresholds relate to household income. This will mean that one third of all eligible students in England entering higher education in the academic year 2008/09 are expected to be entitled to a full non-repayable grant worth 2,835 and another one third are expected to be entitled to a partial grant of between 50 and 2,835. Due to these reforms, by 2011 the number of students receiving some level of grant will increase by around 100,000. As part of this change, an extra 50,000 students will receive a full grant.
	In 2006 grants towards part time students' fees were increased by 27 per cent. with an additional 40 million of institutional funding to higher education institutions to encourage participation from the most under-represented groups.
	Latest figures from UCAS, covering applicants to full-time undergraduate courses only, show that, after the small downturn in 2006, applicants who were accepted for entry in 2007 increased. For accepted applicants from the UK, figures show a rise of 5.5 per cent. to 364,500, with those from England showing a 6.1 per cent. rise to 307,000, the highest ever, and those from Wales up 1.3 per cent.
	Latest figures for students applying for entry in 2008, show as at the end of June, applicants to full-time undergraduate courses show a year-on-year rise of 6.5 per cent. with those from England up by 7.3 per cent. and those from Wales up by 4.9 per cent.

Higher Education: Admissions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of 18-year-olds who had been previously identified as gifted and talented went on to higher education in each of the last three years.

Bill Rammell: The gifted and talented flag was not introduced into the national pupil database until 2006 and we do not yet have data on HE destinations that can be linked to this flag.
	The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) catered for the national top 5 per cent. of 11 to 19-year-olds from 2002 to 2007. It has now been replaced by the Young Gifted and Talented (YG and T) Learner Academy.
	NAGTY's 2006 student exit survey questionnaire showed that, of those completing the questionnaire:
	87 per cent. said they went straight on to continue their education at university;
	8 per cent. were taking a gap year before going into higher education.
	The Government remain committed to widening participation in higher education and to securing fair access for gifted and talented students. It is an economic as well as a social imperative that everyone who can benefit from higher education has the opportunity to do so. Widening participation is about spotting and nurturing talent, with schools, colleges and universities working together to ensure that all those with the potential and merit to benefit from higher education are able to do so.

Innovation: Medical Equipment

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the potential for future innovation in the market for  (a) urology-related products,  (b) stoma-related products and  (c) single-line items.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department works closely with other Government Departments, including the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, to improve patients' access to beneficial new treatments and medical technologies. The contribution that innovative medical technologies can make to the delivery of modern health and social care services was recognised as part of Lord Darzi's report on the NHS Next Stage Review High Quality Care For All published on 30 June 2008. As a result, the Department is working across Government and with the medical technology industry to develop a strategy which promotes uptake of clinically and cost effective innovative products throughout the care pathway. A copy of the Next Stage Review has already been placed in the Library.
	Regarding stoma and urology items that are dispensed in primary care, mechanisms are in place to assess innovation when a supplier seeks to have an item listed in the Drug Tariff. Similar mechanisms would apply to single-line items.
	The Department is seeking best value for money from the expenditure it makes in all areas of healthcare.
	In Secondary Care, buyers procure goods and services via a tendering process. Consequently, market forces will drive a level of competition amongst suppliers who wish to secure NHS contracts.
	Regarding the provision of stoma and urology items in primary care, the Department recently published an impact assessment (IA) alongside the consultation entitled Proposed new arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and urology appliancesand related servicesin Primary Care June 2008. The IA considers the impact of the proposals set out in the consultation and includes a robust competition impact. A copy of the IA has already been placed in the Library.

Medicine: Education

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the merits of giving separate consideration for funding of medical students in the 2009 review of the funding arrangements for all students in England.

Bill Rammell: We have no current or future plans to fund medical students separately. Our policy has always been that there should be an independent review to examine the evidence from the first three years of the new fees and student support regime which will report directly to Parliament. Draft terms of reference for the review were published in January 2004. Ahead of that there are a number of pressing questions about what Government and universities should do over the next 10 to 15 years to ensure we have a world class system of higher education, it is on these questions that Government, universities and others should now focus.

Qualifications: Young People

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of 16-year-olds without a level 2 qualification are in full-time education; and what proportion  (a) achieved a level 2 and remained in full-time education and  (b) achieved a level 2 and left full-time education in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Lammy: Estimates of the proportions of 16-year-olds attaining different levels of qualifications who continued in full-time education were published on 26 June 2008 in a Statistical Bulletin, Youth Cohort Study and Longitudinal Study of Young People in England: The Activities and Experiences of 16-Year-Olds: England 2007. The bulletin relates to young people who completed their compulsory education in 2006 and reached 16 during the 2005/06 academic year.
	Fifty one per cent. of those without a level 2 qualification remained in full-time education; 88 per cent. of those who achieved a level 2 remained in full-time education and 12 per cent. of those who achieved a level 2 left full-time education.

Science: Postgraduate Education

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many and what proportion of current postgraduate students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects took their first degree in the UK, broken down by  (a) type of postgraduate course and  (b) subject.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the tables. Comparable figures for the 2007/08 academic year will be available in January 2009.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and proportion of postgraduate enrolments( 1)  to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)( 2)  courses by level of study UK higher education institutions. Academic year 2006/07 
			O f which; those with a first degree from the UK( 3) 
			  Level of Study  Enrolments  Number  Proportion (percentage) 
			 Doctorate 60,305 23,470 38.9 
			 Masters 113,815 47,870 42.1 
			 Other PG 34,445 13,815 40.1 
			 Total STEM PG 208,565 85,160 40.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number and proportion of postgraduate enrolments( 1)  to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)( 2)  courses by subject: UK higher education institutions. Academic year 2006/07 
			O f which; those with a first degree from the UK( 3) 
			  Subject of Study  Enrolments  Number  Proportion 
			 Medicine and Dentistry 20,020 8,490 42.4 
			 Subjects allied to Medicine 47,150 19,710 41.8 
			 Biological Sciences 30,990 14,650 47.3 
			 Veterinary Science 990 460 46.5 
			 Agriculture and Related Subjects 2,840 1,065 37.4 
			 Physical Sciences 21,060 9,940 47.2 
			 Mathematical Sciences 6,175 2,490 40.4 
			 Computer Science 23,080 7,440 32.2 
			 Engineering and Technology 40,760 13,810 33,9 
			 Architecture, Building and Planning 15,500 7,105 45.8 
			 Total STEM PG 208,565 85,160 40.8 
			 (1 )Figures cover enrolments from all domiciles to both full-time and part-time courses. (2 )The department considers the following subject groups as STEM subjects: medicine and dentistry, subjects allied to medicine, biological sciences, veterinary science, agriculture and related subjects, physical sciences, mathematical sciences. computer science, engineering and technology, and architecture, building and planning. (3 )This population has been derived by selecting those enrolments whose highest qualification on entry was a first degree from a UK institution or an undergraduate qualification with qualified teacher status (QTS), This will exclude those who already have a postgraduate qualification and those with other qualifications on entry to their postgraduate course.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest 5 so columns may not sum to totals. Proportions have been calculated using unrounded figures.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency {HESA).

Sixth Form Colleges: Governing Bodies

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills whether his Department has issued guidance on whether governors of sixth form colleges may refuse requests from  (a) members of the public,  (b) parents of students and  (c) members of teaching staff at the college to make their home addresses and email addresses available.

Bill Rammell: The Department has not issued any guidance to colleges (including sixth form colleges) asking governors to make available their home and private e-mail addresses. As independent institutions, it is for individual governing bodies to determine their own arrangements for communications with governors.

Student Unions: Equality

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what provisions of legislation on race relations govern the activities of student unions; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Race Relations Act 1976 imposes obligations on student unions in relation to their roles as employers, providers of goods, facilities and services and in relation to the disposal and management of their premises. It also places them under obligations as regards their decisions in relation to applications for membership and their treatment of their members, if they have a membership of 25 or more people.
	Student unions are also subject to supervision by higher education institutions, under section 22 of the Education Act 1994, who have a duty to:
	take such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that any students' union for students at the establishment operates in a fair and democratic manner and is accountable for its finances.

Student Wastage

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many students dropped out of each UK university in each of the last 10 years, broken down by subject studied.

Bill Rammell: Non-completion rates are not broken down by degree subject However a sector-wide non-continuation rate is provided for each year, which is broken down by subject of study. The non-continuation rate is the proportion of entrants to full-time first degree courses who are no longer in higher education after one year of study. The rates for young entrants are shown in table 1. Information on the actual numbers not continuing in HE has not been published.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of young entrants to full-time first degree courses who are no longer in HE in after one year of studyUK higher education institutions academic years 1999/2000 to 2005/06 
			  Percentage 
			  Degree subject  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06 
			 Medicine, dentistry and veterinary science 2.0 2.0 2.4 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.6 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 6.3 6.0 5.9 6.4 7.7 6.8 6.5 
			 Biological sciences(1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 7.3 6.8 6.7 
			 Physical sciences(1) 6.9 6.0 6.1 7.1 6.1 6.0 7.8 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 6.8 7.0 11.4 7.5 8.3 8.0 5.7 
			 Mathematical sciences(2) (2) (2) (2) (2) 5.5 5.3 4.8 
			 Computer sciences(2) 9.8 8.0 8.4 9.4 10.3 10.3 10.5 
			 Engineering and technology 10.1 9.0 8.9 10.0 10.1 9.1 8.5 
			 Architecture, building, planning 9.6 8.0 10.2 11.1 10.0 8.3 7.6 
			 Social studies(3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 7.2 6.9 7.0 
			 Law(3) 6.9 6.0 6.4 7.0 6.2 5.5 5.9 
			 Librarianship, information sciences(4) (4) (4) (4) n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Business and administrative studies(4,5) 6.9 8.0 8.2  8.8 8.2 8.4 
			 Mass communications and documentation(5) n/a n/a n/a 8.8 8.5 8.6 8.5 
			 Humanities(6) (6) (6) (6) n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Languages(6,7) 5.9 5.0 5.7  6.3 5.7 5.8 
			 Historical and philosophical studies(7) n/a n/a n/a 6.3 5.9 5.0 5.1 
			 Creative arts and design 8.7 8.0 8.3 8.2 8.4 8.1 8.0 
			 Education 8.6 8.0 8.1 8.0 7.5 7.6 7.3 
			 Combined subjects 8.8 8.0 8.2 14.3 13.5 14.3 13.8 
			 All subjects 7.8 7.0 7.3 7.8 7.7 7.2 7.1 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) One figure was provided for Biological and Physical Sciences until 2003/04. (2) One figure was provided for Mathematical and Computer Sciences until 2003/04. (3) One figure was provided for Social Studies and Law until 2003/04. (4) One figure was provided for Librarianship. information sciences and Business and administrative studies until 2002/03. (5) One figure was provided for Business and administrative studies and Mass communications and documentation in 2002/03, (6 )One figure was provided for Languages and Humanities until 2002/03. (7) One figure was provided for Languages and Historical and Philosophical Studies in 2002/03.  Notes: 1. Figures for 2000/01 are only available to the nearest integer. 2. There is a break in the time series between academic years 2001/02 and 2002/03 because the subjects' JACS coding was changed in 2002/03.  Source: Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 
		
	
	Table 2, which has been placed in the Library of the House, shows the proportion of full-time first degree entrants who were projected to neither gain an award nor transfer for each UK HEI. Information on the actual numbers projected to neither obtain an award nor transfer has not been published.
	Student retention rates in this country compare very well internationally. The UK ranks fifth in the OECD for first degree completion rates, out of 23 countries who report data in this area. A university education is now open to more students than ever before and the Government are totally committed to providing opportunities for all people to achieve their potential and to maximise their talent.

Students: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the maximum amount of  (a) grant and  (b) loan available to students completing (i) clinical and (ii) research positions during a mandatory sandwich year forming part of an undergraduate degree course is.

Bill Rammell: Entitlement to maintenance loan and grant support for students on a sandwich course placement year depends upon the periods of full-time study during the academic year in question.
	Generally, students are not entitled to grants for living costs in respect of an academic year of a sandwich course in which periods of full-time study aggregate to less than 10 weeks, unless the periods of work experience constitute unpaid service. They are, however, eligible for a non means-tested loan for living costsin 2008-09 the maximum amount available to most students will be 2,265.
	However, students on certain specified unpaid placements in the public or voluntary sectors (including unpaid clinical and research positions in public health and local authorities) are potentially entitled to grants for living costs of up to 2,835 (up to 1,000 if they entered higher education in 2004/05 or 2005/06), subject to means testing; and for other grants for dependants and for travel. Students on such unpaid placements will be eligible for the full amount of loans for living costs, also subject to means testing and place of residence; in 2008/09 the maximum loan available to most students will be 4,625 (6,475 for students living away from home and studying in London).
	Students who entered HE in or after 2006 and who are subject to the variable fee regime can take out a non means tested fee loan of up to 3,145 in 2008/09 if any periods of full-time study in the academic year in question aggregate to more than 10 weeks, or 1,570 If any such periods aggregate to less than 10 weeks.
	Students who entered HE before 1 September 2006 and who consequently are not subject to the variable fee regime will be liable for a tuition fee contribution of 1,255 if any periods of full-time study aggregate to more than 10 weeks, or a contribution of up to 610 if any such periods aggregate to less than 10 weeks. Such students can apply for a means-tested fee grant to cover their contribution, and can take out a non means-tested fee contribution loan to cover any shortfall in their fee grant.

Students: Government Assistance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps the Government  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to provide assistance to students who have been estranged from their families.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 9 July 2008
	 The Education (Student Support) Regulations provide for students who are proven to be estranged from their parents to be treated as independent students for the purposes of assessing their entitlement to higher education student support. We have no plans to change the way in which the assessment of such students is carried out.
	Students who claim to be estranged from their parents are required to provide sufficient evidence for their local authority (LA) to determine that the estrangement does exist and is permanent. For each subsequent year for which such a student applies for support; the LA has to satisfy itself that the estrangement still persists.
	The financial assessment for single independent students (i.e. they do not have a husband, wife, civil partner or cohabiting partner of either sex) is based on the student's own income only. The core student support package for such a student with an income of up to 18,360 (or up to 25,000 for new students starting their studies from 2008/09) studying outside London comprises: a non means-tested tuition fee loan of up to 3,145; a means-tested maintenance grant of 2,835; and a loan for maintenance of up to 4,625. Students who are in receipt of the full maintenance grant and who are being charged the maximum 3,145 tuition fee are also eligible for an institutional bursary of at least 310.
	Extra support is available for disadvantaged students trough non means-tested disabled students allowances and means-tested childcare grant, adult dependant grant and parents learning allowance, in addition, students may also be able to apply to their university or college for support from its access to learning fund for students experiencing particular financial hardship.

Students: Loans

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when the new interest rates payable on student loans to be repaid over the year from 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008 were set by the Student Loans Company; and  (a) when and  (b) in what form those rates were communicated to those graduates and current students who had taken out loans through the SLC.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 9 July 2008
	The student loan interest rate for the year from 1 September 2007 to 31 August 2008 was confirmed by officials during August 2007 as the rate to apply for the forthcoming academic year for both types of student loan.
	In accordance with the requirements of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the SLC publishes details of the forthcoming change in the interest rate payable for pre-1998 mortgage style (MS) Student Loans before the new rate takes effect on 1 September each year. There is no similar requirement for advance notification for the current income contingent repayment (ICR) student loans which have a low interest rate exemption from arrangements governing consumer credit agreements. ICR statements are issued in September each year for those borrowers whose loans are not yet in repayment. For ICR borrowers who are in repayment, statements are issued after receipt of a file from HMRC. Thus, there is no specific timescale for the issue of these statements but, for the majority, these are issued between September and December.
	However, the SLC publishes notices of the change of interest rates affecting all student loan borrowers in national newspapers before 1 September each year. The change is also published on the SLC's and Government websites.
	Borrowers with MS loans are individually informed of the change by the SLC and private sector debt owners before 1 September. This is important as a change in interest rate for these borrowers changes the payments they are required to make. Borrowers with ICR loans receive notification of the change with their annual statements. While any change in the interest rate applied affects the overall balance of the outstanding loan, it does not alter the income-related repayments of these borrowers.

Students: Work Experience

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the additional costs incurred by students during non-paid work placements; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The range of unpaid placements varies greatly between different courses and different institutions. Information is not available on the costs incurred by students while undertaking a non-paid work placement.
	Generally, students are not entitled to grants for living costs in respect of an academic year of a sandwich course in which periods of full-time study aggregate to less than 10 weeks. They are, however, eligible for a non means-tested loan for living costs. In 2008/09, the maximum amount available to most students will be 2,265.
	However, students on specified unpaid placements in the public or voluntary sectors are potentially entitled to grants for living costs of up to 2,835 (up to 1,000 if they entered higher education in 2004/05 or 2005/06), subject to means-testing; and for other grants for dependants and for travel. Students on these specified unpaid placements will be eligible in 2008/09 for a student loan of up to 4,625 in most cases (up to 6,475 for students living away from home and studying in London), subject to means testing and place of residence.

Train to Gain Programme

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of the Train to Gain budget was spent on employers that had been recruited by skills brokers in the most recent year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: holding answer 21 July 2008
	Since it was rolled out nationally from April 2006 the Train to Gain service has engaged almost 93,000 employers and led to over 488,000 employees starting learning funded by LSC. The brokerage service has played an important part in the development of Train to Gain. It has helped engage a high proportion of hard to reach employers, many of which are small businesses. Satisfaction with brokerage is high, at 80 per cent., and recent evaluations show that employers particularly value the local knowledge and impartiality of the brokerage service in helping them source high-quality training.
	In the financial year 2006/07 34,000 employers engaged with Train to Gain, of which around half were engaged by skills brokers. The vast majority of employers engaged by brokers will have gone on to receive Train to Gain funding to help them invest in the skills of their employees. Detailed figures are not readily available on the proportion of employees who began learning programmes in Train to Gain who worked for employers engaged by skills brokers.

Train to Gain Programme

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which 50 companies have the largest contracts for delivering the Train to Gain programme; and how much these contracts are worth in total.

David Lammy: Since it was rolled out nationally from April 2006, Train to Gain has grown quickly. It has now engaged 92,210 employers, supported 454,920 employees to begin learning programmes, and delivered 186,720 full level 2 and over 23,000 Skills for Life achievements. Recent evaluations of the service show that both employer and employee satisfaction with their experience of Train to Gain is high.
	The following table lists the 50 providers, as at the end of May 2008, with the largest contracts for delivering Train to Gain in 2007/08. Taken together, these providers have contracts worth approximately 160 millionover 40 per cent. of projected spend for the year.
	
		
			  2007/08 
			  Provider  Total allocation () 
			 Telford College of Arts and Technology 8,013,929 
			 Protocol Skills Limited 7,433,413 
			 A4e Management Ltd. 7,374,277 
			 CITBConstructionskills 6,902,652 
			 Construction Learning World Ltd. 6,066,730 
			 Eastleigh College 5,817,334 
			 Ufi Limited 5,038,126 
			 Sheffield Trainers Limited 4,997,622 
			 Huddersfield Technical College 4,391,152 
			 Black Country Training Group Limited 4,355,771 
			 JHP Group Limited 4,196,691 
			 North Hertfordshire College 3,739,257 
			 Preston College 3,505,122 
			 Central Sussex College 3,453,643 
			 CITBConstructionskills (NES) 3,400,000 
			 PDM Training and Consultancy Limited 3,340,570 
			 Carter and Carter Group Plc 3,309,781 
			 Cumbria Colleges Limited 3,211,590 
			 West Nottinghamshire College 3,133,212 
			 North Lindsey College 3,083,503 
			 TNG Network Limited 2,964,636 
			 Newham College of Further Education 2,812,767 
			 Anne Clarke Limited 2,798,002 
			 Hull College 2,789,748 
			 Cambridge Regional College 2,544,281 
			 Hit Training Ltd. 2,479,144 
			 Stoke on Trent College 2,432,307 
			 Park Lane College, Leeds 2,364,082 
			 Oxford and Cherwell Valley College 2,293,051 
			 M2 Training Limited 2,251,158 
			 VT Training Plc 2,213,638 
			 Stourbridge College 2,209,638 
			 Constant Browning Edmonds Limited 2,195,091 
			 Rotherham College of Arts and Technology 2,146,833 
			 Boston College 2,123,631 
			 Wigan and Leigh College 2,103,469 
			 TQ Workforce Development Limited 2,060,981 
			 Economic Solutions Limited 2,054,670 
			 QGS Synergy Limited 1,987,281 
			 Newcastle College 1,911,842 
			 College of North East London 1,903,617 
			 West Yorkshire Learning Providers Ltd. 1,882,144 
			 Southwark College 1,865,929 
			 Guildford College of Further and Higher Education 1,856,841 
			 Education and Youth Services Limited 1,822,254 
			 Yorkshire Training Partnership Limited 1,803,881 
			 Walsall College 1,788,895 
			 The Oldham College 1,762,500 
			 Manchester College of Arts and Technology (Mancat) 1,750,000 
			 South Leicestershire College 1,716,237

HOME DEPARTMENT

Abandoned Vehicles

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what figures police forces collect on numbers of abandoned cars.

Tony McNulty: The police do not collect this information.

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many animals were used for the purposes of marine biotoxins testing in 2006 for (i) PSP toxins and (ii) DSP toxins; what plans she has to replace the use of animals for these purposes; and what plans she has to revoke all existing licences for animal tests for these purposes.

Meg Hillier: We do not hold separate figures for testing for paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) and diarrheic shellfish poison (DSP). However, Table 9 of the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals: Great Britain for 2006 records the use of 7,346 mice for the safety evaluation of other foodstuffs. All of these animals were used for marine biotoxin testing.
	Section 5.4 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 requires the Secretary of State to weigh the likely adverse effects on the animals concerned against the benefits likely to accrue as a result of the programme to be specified in the licence. In the case of testing for the presence of marine biotoxins, the benefits of such testing are the protection of public health by ensuring that consumers are not exposed to biotoxins present in molluscan shellfish. In view of this, we have no plan to revoke or amend any project licences that have been granted authorising marine biotoxins testing. However, the Home Office is committed to the replacement of both the PSP and DSP bioassays. To this end, Home Office officials are working closely with the Food Standards Agency, as competent authority for food safety, and those contracted by them to perform routine monitoring for shellfish toxins, to progress replacements.

Antisocial Behaviour Act 2003

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 there have been for  (a) noise,  (b) graffiti and fly posting and  (c) waste and litter in (i) each local authority and (ii) each police authority, broken down by basic command unit, in each region of England and Wales since January 2008.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to respond.
	The information requested covering the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for noise, waste offences and littering in England and Wales for 2006 by police force area and region, are shown in the following tables. Offences of graffiti and fly posting are not separately identifiable from other criminal damage offences (for example vandalism and damaging property) from the information reported to the Ministry of Justice.
	It is not possible to separately identify prosecutions taking place in (i) local authority area and (ii) basic command units within police force areas in England and Wales from the information reported to the Ministry of Justice.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2007 will be available in the winter of 2008.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the winter of 2009.
	
		
			  N umber of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for waste disposal offences, littering and noise offences, by region, and police force area in England and Wales for 2006( 1, 2) 
			   Proceeded against 
			  Offence code  9115  9116  9137  16882  16897 
			  Statute  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.33(8)  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.33(9)  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.33 (6)  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.87  Noise Act 1996 
			  Offence description  Depositing, causing the deposition or permitting the deposition, treating, keeping or disposing of controlled (but not special) waste in or on land without a licence.  Depositing, causing the deposition or permitting the deposition of controlled special waste in or on land without a licence.  Contravening conditions of a waste management licence.  Depositing litter.  Noise exceeds permitted level after service of notice and other summary offences. 
			  Region  
			 North East 32 1 8 273  
			 North West 71 29 62 819  
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 16 2 62 212  
			 East Midlands 23 4 34 302  
			 West Midlands 50 11 22 56  
			 East of England 19 3 38 47 2 
			 London 48 10 121 115 5 
			 South East 60 19 36 51  
			 South West 24  11 56  
			 Wales 17 5 83 91  
			 England and Wales 360 84 477 2,022 7 
		
	
	
		
			   Proceeded against 
			  Statute  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.33(8)  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.33(9)  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.33 (6)  Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.87.  Noise Act 1996 
			  Offence description  Depositing, causing the deposition or permitting the deposition, treating, keeping or disposing of controlled (but not special) waste in or on land without a licence.  Depositing, causing the deposition or permitting the deposition of controlled special waste in or on land without a licence.  Contravening conditions of a waste management licence.  Depositing litter.  Noise exceeds permitted level after service of notice and other summary offences. 
			  Force  
			 Avon and Somerset   4 4  
			 Bedfordshire 4  5 10 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 3  3 1  
			 Cheshire 3 6 1 2  
			 Cleveland 3  8 70  
			 Cumbria 1  5 20  
			 Derbyshire 3  8 28  
			 Devon and Cornwall 15  1 20  
			 Dorset 9   15  
			 Durham6  
			 Essex 2 3 17 22  
			 Gloucestershire   3 16  
			 Greater Manchester 49 2 42 668  
			 Hampshire 2 1  6  
			 Hertfordshire   9 3  
			 Humberside 3  9 31  
			 Kent 7 14 16 38  
			 Lancashire 12 21 10 108  
			 Leicestershire 5  4 188  
			 Lincolnshire 10 2 2 18  
			 Merseyside 6   21  
			 Metropolitan Police 48 10 121 115 5 
			 Norfolk 8  4 5  
			 North Yorkshire   7 2  
			 Northamptonshire14  
			 Northumbria 29 1  197  
			 Nottinghamshire 5 2 20 54  
			 South Yorkshire 8  15 79  
			 Staffordshire   2 5  
			 Suffolk 2   6  
			 Surrey 3 1 7 4  
			 Sussex 6 2 4 1  
			 Thames Valley 42 1 9 2  
			 Warwickshire 1 7  1  
			 West Mercia 2  10 19  
			 West Midlands 47 4 10 31  
			 West Yorkshire 5 2 31 100  
			 Wiltshire   3 1  
			 Dyfed-Powys 1  10 15  
			 Gwent   19 15  
			 North Wales 1  6 8  
			 South Wales 15 5 48 53  
			 England and Wales 360 84 477 2,022 7 
			  = Nil (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Asylum

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on  (a) the most recent operation of the asylum system and  (b) the most recent report of the Independent Asylum Commission; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 July 2008
	 The UK Border Agency receives correspondence from a variety of sources about the operation of the asylum system some of which makes reference to the reports of the Independent Asylum Commission. The UK Border Agency operates a fair and humane asylum system fully meeting the United Kingdom's international protection obligations.

Asylum

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Somalian people have been refused asylum in the UK in each of the last  (a) 12 months and  (b) five years; and how many are awaiting a decision on an asylum application.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The following two tables give the most recently published figures available and show the total number of refusals for Somali people, following initial decisions, between April 2007 and March 2008 and for each of the last five years.
	The published figure for asylum applications for Somali people awaiting an initial decision is not available as the figures are based on an overall manual count which is not divided into separate categories.
	Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2007 and for Q2 2008 will be available on 21 August 2008 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate web site at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Asylum refusals on initial decisions( 1,2)  in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants April 2007 to March 2008 by month, nationals of Somalia 
			   Total refusals 
			  2007  
			 April 65 
			 May 65 
			 June 75 
			 July 60 
			 August 50 
			 September 40 
			 October 55 
			 November 60 
			 December 40 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 45 
			 February 40 
			 March 35 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest five. (2) Provisional figures. 
		
	
	
		
			  Asylum refusals( 1)  on initial decisions in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants 2003-07, nationals of Somalia 
			   Total refusals 
			 2003 3,835 
			 2004 2,355 
			 2005 1,000 
			 2006(2) 905 
			 2007(2) 710 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest five. (2) Provisional figures.

Asylum

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sudanese people have been refused asylum in the UK in each of the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years; and how many are awaiting a decision on an asylum application.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The accompanying two tables give the most recently published figures available and show the total number of refusals for Sudanese people, following initial decisions, between April 2007 and March 2008 and for each of the last five years.
	The published figure for asylum applications for Sudanese people awaiting an initial decision is not available as the figures are based on an overall manual count which is not divided into separate categories.
	Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2007 and for Q2 2008 will be available on 21 August 2008 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate.
	
		
			  Asylum refusals on initial decisions( 1, 2)  in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants April 2007 - March 2008 by month, nationals of Sudan 
			   Total refusals 
			  2007  
			 April 25 
			 May 20 
			 June 30 
			 July 30 
			 August 20 
			 September 10 
			 October 10 
			 November 15 
			 December 10 
			  2008  
			 January 10 
			 February 10 
			 March 15 
		
	
	
		
			  Asylum refusals( 1)  on initial decisions in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants  2003-07, nationals of Sudan 
			   Total refusals 
			 2003 595 
			 2004 1,305 
			 2005 900 
			 2006(2) 510 
			 2007(2) 300 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest 5. (2) Provisional figures

Asylum

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of political violence involving Zimbabweans have been recorded in  (a) Southend and  (b) the UK in the last 24 months.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 July 2008
	The information requested is not collected centrally. From the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office, it is not possible to identify whether  (a) a crime was politically motivated or  (b) the nationality of either the victim or the alleged offender.

Asylum

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding applications for asylum there were from Zimbabwean nationals in  (a) Southend and  (b) England and Wales at the end of (i) 2004, (ii) 2005, (iii) 2006 and (iv) 2007.

Liam Byrne: The requested information is unavailable as it is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
	Further information on asylum is published annually and quarterly and is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Asylum

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Zimbabwean people have been refused asylum in the UK in each of the last  (a) 12 months and  (b) five years; and how many are awaiting a decision on an asylum application.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The following two tables give the most recently published figures available and show the total number of refusals for Zimbabwean people, following initial decisions, between April 2007 and March 2008 and for each of the last five years.
	The published figure for asylum applications for Zimbabwean people awaiting an initial decision is not available as the figures are based on an overall manual count which is not divided into separate categories.
	Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2007 and for Q2 2008 will be available on 21 August 2008 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate web site at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Asylum refusals( 1)  on initial decisions in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants 2003-07, nationals of Zimbabwe 
			   Total refusals 
			 2003 3,285 
			 2004 2,310 
			 2005 945 
			 2006(2) 1,510 
			 2007(2) 1,155 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest five. (2) Provisional figures. 
		
	
	
		
			  Asylum refusals on initial decisions( 1,2)  in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants April 2007 to March 2008 by month, nationals of Zimbabwe 
			   Total refusals 
			  2007  
			 April 95 
			 May 140 
			 June 115 
			 July 135 
			 August 85 
			 September 70 
			 October 80 
			 November 105 
			 December 70 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 80 
			 February 100 
			 March 90 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest five. (2) Provisional figures.

Border and Immigration Agency: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a reply will be sent to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood's letter to the Border and Immigration Agency of 8 April 2008 on behalf of Mamta Devi, Home Office reference number D1104208 and her further letter of 23 May 2008, correspondence reference B18481/8.

Liam Byrne: The UK Border Agency replied to the right hon. Member's first letter in a letter received by her on 14 May 2008 and her letter of 23 May was replied to on 17 July 2008.

Borders: Personal Records

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the companies within the consortium selected to deliver the e-Borders programme have had experience of delivering this type of system; and for which governments or companies each has delivered similar programmes.

Liam Byrne: Within the Trusted Borders consortium, Raytheon Systems Ltd., Serco, Accenture, Detica, QinetiQ, Steria and Cap Gemini all have experience in delivering programmes with similar capabilities to e-Borders. These include:
	US Visit, for the US Government;
	Schengen Information System for the European Union; and
	miSense for the Home Office.

Cannabis: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the proportion of children  (a) under 14,  (b) 14 to 16 and  (c) between 17 and 18 years old who (i) have tried skunk cannabis and (ii) smoke skunk cannabis at least once a week in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: There are two primary sources of statistics on the use of illicit drugs by young people: the British crime survey (which covers England and Wales) and the smoking drinking and drug use survey among young people in England. However, both surveys ask questions about the use of cannabis in general and it is not possible to report separately on the use of skunk.

Crime

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what standards she has set for  (a) police services,  (b) local authorities and  (c) local crime and disorder reduction partnerships in respect of the methodology for local crime and disorder audits; and what examples of best practice she has identified.

Tony McNulty: Under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the police service and local authorities are two of the five responsible authorities which comprise crime and disorder reduction partnerships or community safety partnerships (CSPs) in Wales.
	Following a review of the partnerships provisions of the 1998 Act, the duties to produce three yearly audits and to report annually to the Secretary of State on a partnership's work and progress were repealed in 2007. They were replaced by new statutory requirements in 2007 to introduce minimum standards for partnership working based on six hallmarks of effective partnerships, providing clear statements of the core functions of CDRPs and CSPs. These include producing a strategic assessment identifying local community safety priorities and a partnership plan which sets out the approach for addressing these priorities.
	'Delivering Safer Communities: A Guide to Effective Partnership Working' was issued in September 2007 to support the implementation of the statutory requirements and of the hallmarks of effective partnership. The guidance also contains a number of suggested practice case studies which represent practical solutions to support partnerships meet the statutory requirements.

Crime Prevention: Young People

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she has issued to police forces on involving young people in local crime reduction strategies.

Vernon Coaker: Engaging and involving young people in local crime reduction strategies is important, as they are often the group most concerned about crime and are disproportionately victims of crime.
	The Government make it clear in the policing Green Paper that neighbourhood policing teams should always include young people in their consultations about policing priorities and also make every effort to engage hard to reach groups.
	We encourage all aspects of youth engagement and encourage all police forces authorities and forces to make every effort to consult with and work in partnership with young people, both through adapting existing examples of good practice and developing new ones. We recognise that approaches will differ according to local circumstances and support partnerships between the police and other agencies where there is a coordinated approach to engaging and involving young people.
	Police forces are already engaging positively with young people, for example by way of safer schools partnerships. SSPs are a successful mechanism for ensuring joint working between schools and police, with a dedicated police officer attached to a school, and liaising closely with the pupils. There are now about 500 SSPs of one form or another. Evaluations have shown that they are proving effective in improving behaviour and attendance, developing strong and positive relationships between the police and young people, and to help young people develop a sense of being part of the local community.
	The youth crime action plan, published on 15 July, includes a number of additional ways in which the police will be working proactively with and for with young people includes:
	Expansion of safer schools partnerships (see above).
	Increase after school patrols in the locality of the school and transport hubs. This is not only intended to reduce criminal and antisocial behaviour in these areas, but also to help young people feel safer, and able to interact positively with the police.
	Using existing child protection legislation to ensure young people on the street at night are taken to a safe place (Operation Stay Safe).
	Establishing youth forums to address the carrying of knives by young people, including young people who have been directly involved or affected by knife crime.
	The YCAP also includes way of how we need to be responsive and accountable to young people to ensure they are involved in tackling youth crime and decisions that affect them and to improve the relationship between young people and the police. We will also listen to the views of young people themselves, ensuring that they can contribute to developing solutions not just feeling that they are seen as the problem.
	We welcome and encourage youth engagement and will continue to explore ways to achieve this. For example young people are regularly represented on the steering group of the YCAP, as their views are very important.

Crime: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of digital forensic time within the police force is spent on investigating  (a) online child abuse incidents,  (b) e-crime and  (c) terrorism.

Tony McNulty: This information is not held centrally.
	The Government recognises that all forensic work carried by or on behalf of law enforcement can be an essential part of evidence gathering; however each police force and law enforcement agency is given its own annual budget to be distributed where necessary to provide adequate resources.

Crime: Internet

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the  (a) demand by police forces and  (b) adequacy of resources for digital forensic services in England and Wales.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office allocates core grants to police forces on an annual basis without stipulating where the grant should be spent. The ultimate decision on where this money should be spent lies with the relevant chief officers.

Criminal Records Bureau

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of records held by the Criminal Records Bureau which contain incorrect information, broken down by police force are.

Meg Hillier: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 5 June 2008,  Official Report, column 1123W.

Criminal Records Bureau: Discrimination

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims for discrimination, based on  (a) sex,  (b) race and  (c) sexual orientation, were brought by staff of the Criminal Records Bureau in each of the last five years; and how many in each case were settled (i) in and (ii) out of court.

Meg Hillier: The Criminal Records Bureau has had no claims for discrimination on grounds of  (a) sex,  (b) race or  (c) sexual orientation in the last five years.

Criminal Records Bureau: Standards

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  in how many cases the Criminal Records Bureau is known to have wrongly reported that a person has a criminal record in each year since its inception; on how many occasions in each year such cases related to offences involving children, broken down by offence; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of Criminal Records Bureau checks which failed to reveal criminal offences that were subsequently found in each year since 2001;
	(3)  how many Criminal Records Bureau checks were found to be incorrect in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007; and what estimate she has made of the (i) number and (ii) percentage of Criminal Records Bureau records which are incorrect;
	(4)  what measures there are to ensure that  (a) information kept by the Criminal Records Bureau is accurate and up-to-date and  (b) the documentary evidence to support such information is appropriately recorded.

Meg Hillier: All the quality control procedures at the Criminal Records Bureau are geared to achieving the highest levels of accuracy. In addition, the CRB carries out a post-disclosure accuracy check that analyses all aspects of the disclosure application and its issue. This check was introduced in 2007 and is based on a statistical sample of disclosure applications and from that sample it can be ascertained that the accuracy rate for 2006-07 is 99.94 per cent. and for 2007-08 is 99.98 per cent. No comparative data are available before these dates.
	The CRB does not collate information about cases related to offences involving children.
	The CRB operates a central database in order to record transactions that occur during the disclosure process, where applicants' personal data provided on an application form are compared against information held by the police, the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Although the CRB has access to conviction and other information through this process, the police and the other data sources are the data owners of material held on their respective databases and as such are responsible for the accuracy of information held thereon.

Criminal Records: Offences Against Children

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedure the Criminal Records Bureau follows in recording allegations of child abuse which have not been proven; how many such allegations are on CRB records; what the procedure for the removal of an unfounded allegation is; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: The Criminal Records Bureau compares applicant details against information held by the police, the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Although the CRB has access to conviction and other information through this process, the police and the other data sources above are the data owners of material held on their respective databases and as such are responsible for the accuracy of information held thereon. Therefore, the CRB would not record the number of allegations of child abuse which have not been proven. However, the CRB operate a dispute procedure to enable recipients of Disclosure information to dispute the accuracy and relevancy of any information revealed in a Disclosure.

Criminal Records: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Wales were incorrectly identified as having criminal records by the Criminal Records Bureau in each year since 2002.

Meg Hillier: The Criminal Records Bureau would need to perform a manual trawl, at disproportionate cost, of each application to ascertain whether the postcode falls within Wales, in order to identify how many applicants in Wales have been incorrectly identified in each year since 2002.
	Furthermore, this may not provide a conclusive figure as applicants may live on the borders of England and Wales.

Departmental Information Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department paid in bonuses to press and communication officers in each of the last 10 years; and what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest such bonus was in each of those years.

Liam Byrne: Press and communications officers in the Home Office are employed at the Information and senior information officer grades. Total bonus payments are recorded by financial year and the following tables give details of payments made to staff within the communication directorate in the past six financial years. There are two types of bonus:
	 1. Performance Review
	Staff performance reviews are completed annually with a bonus awarded to all staff with a performance assessment of 'exceptionally effective'. Table 1 details the amounts that would have been paid to individual members of staff with an 'exceptionally effective' rating.
	This does not represent the total amount paid in bonuses to all staff in the relevant grades. This information and the data for the rest of the Department is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
	 2. Reward and Recognition Scheme
	All bonus payments are awarded with reference to the guidance contained in the Home Office 'Reward and Recognition' scheme. Use of a special bonus allows management to respond quickly to effort or excellence. Table 2 shows the highest and lowest bonuses paid.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Financial year  Percentage  IO  ()  SIO  () 
			 2002-03 1 303 322 
			 2003-04 2 623 763 
			 2004-05 2 629 771 
			 2005-06 2 649 795 
			 2006-07 2 666 815 
			 2007-08(1) 2 672 824 
			 (1) The anticipated amount that will be paid for 'exceptionally effective' performance between April 2007 and March 2008.  Note: Calculations are based on 2 per cent. (1 per cent . 2002-03) of the 'Target rate' of the appropriate pay scale. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   
			  Financial year  Total bonus payments  Highest bonus paid  Lowest bonus paid 
			 2002-03 5,900 700 400 
			 2003-04 8,550 500 450 
			 2004-05 8,200 1,000 300 
			 2005-06 6,550 800 250 
			 2006-07 6,400 500 250 
			 2007-08(1) 8,120 650 150 
			 (1) All awards have been made for 07/08; therefore this is the final total for the current financial year.

Departmental Official Cars

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which make and model of car she has chosen as her ministerial car to be provided by the Government car and despatch agency.

Liam Byrne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 16 July 2008,  Official Repor t, column 414W.

Departmental Pay

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department paid to staff in annual appraisal-related end-year bonuses in 2007-08.

Jacqui Smith: For staff in Home Office headquarters, UK Border Agency, and the senior civil service end-of-year bonuses are linked to annual appraisals.
	For 2007-08 these bonuses will be paid in July salaries along with the annual pay award and therefore this information will not be available until September.
	Identity and Passport Service does not operate an end of year annual appraisal related bonus scheme for all its staff. Where bonuses are applicable, these are expected to be paid in July salaries and this information will not be available until September.
	Staff in the Criminal Records Bureau do not receive end of year appraisal bonuses.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department and its agencies spent on staff working on  (a) marketing and  (b) branding in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The total cost of staff responsible for marketing and branding for the 12 month period ending 31 December 2007 is detailed in the following table.
	The marketing staff delivered campaigns including alcohol, harm reduction, drugs prevention, police recruitment, immigration control, advice to employers and changes to passport applications
	The total cost of staff responsible for marketing and branding for the 12-month period ending 31 December 2007 is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  January 2007 to December 2007 
			   
			   Staff costs for  m arketing  Staff costs for  b randing 
			 Home Office 990,630 3,124 
			 Borders and Immigration Agency 238,345 124,710 
			 Identity and Passport Service 774,436 104,453 
			 Total 2,003,411 232,287

Departmental Responsibilities

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reviews of regulation her Department and its agencies have conducted or commenced since July 2007; and in which areas.

Liam Byrne: The Government's approach to post-legislative scrutiny was set out by the Leader of the House of Commons in Post-legislative Scrutiny - The Government's Approach (Cm 7320) published in March 2008. The Home Office is following this new systematic process to post-legislative scrutiny. Reviews that are undertaken under the new process will, where necessary, be submitted to the Home Affairs Select Committee and copies made available on the Home Office website. In addition, the revised impact assessment (IA) process has increased the focus on post implementation reviews, with each individual IA setting out when the policy would be reviewed.

Departmental Sick Leave

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many working days were lost by her Department due to stress-related illness in each of the last 24 months.

Liam Byrne: 31,194 days were lost during 2006-07, and 36,877 days lost from 2007-08.
	In 2006-07, the Home Office HQ included the following departments: Communities Group, that National Offender Management Services and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform which have now all transferred out. It is important to note NOMS and OCJR left in May 2007 to join Ministry of Justice, and therefore have been included for the month of April 2007. Communities Group transferred to DCLG in May 2006.
	The information has been drawn from the Home Office personnel system (Adelphi). Calculations are based on a 12-month rolling period as monthly calculations are not an accurate representation of working days lost.

Departmental Surveys

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff surveys her Department has undertaken in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office headquarters and the United Kingdom Border Agency conducted a joint staff survey in February 2008. This is the only full staff survey they have conducted since 2005. The 2008 survey cost a total of 66,338.64 which includes reprographics.
	The Criminal Records Bureau conducted a staff satisfaction survey in September 2007 and it cost 25,180.
	The Identity and Passport Service have not conducted a survey in the last 12 months.

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department collects and monitors in relation to the telephone contact centres for which her Department is responsible.

Liam Byrne: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Contact centre  Purpose  Information collected and monitored 
			 Ashby-de-la-Zouch (Leicestershire) IPSCall arrangements are for customer inquiries and appointment bookingsalso e-mail inquiries such as progress chasers, customer complaints and requests for passport application packs Information is collected and monitored relating to performance against contractual targets. Information is also collected on the types of general queries being asked by the public 
			 Bangor (Northern Ireland) IPSCall arrangements are for customer inquiries and appointment bookingsalso e-mail inquiries such as progress chasers, customer complaints and requests for passport application packs Information is collected and monitored relating to performance against contractual targets. Information is also collected on the types of general queries being asked by the public 
			 Bristol IPSCall arrangements are for customer inquiries and appointment bookingsalso e-mail inquiries such as progress chasers, customer complaints and requests for passport application packs Information is collected and monitored relating to performance against contractual targets. Information is also collected on the types of general queries being asked by the public 
			 Home Office public Switchboard Deals with non-specific callers (those who do not have a name/extension number) The Home Office public switchboard collects information on the subject of the call, the number of calls and the number of calls responded to within published targets 
			 Immigration Enquiry Bureau (IEB) BIADeals with inquiries from the public relating to general immigration issues, requests for progress on individual cases and requests for immigration application forms Number of call attempts, number of calls answered, number of calls abandoned, calls abandoned while waiting to be answered, number of calls abandoned following information messages. The average time to answer a call and the average length of a call 
			 Sheffield CC BIAinquiries on all work permit schemes and programmes and provides advice to employers on recruiting non-UK nationals 1 per cent. of all calls are monitored for quality purposes 
			 Liverpool CC BIADeals with general inquiries about citizenship and right of abode, requests for progress on individual cases and requests for application forms Call centres are measured on the number of calls answered against demand on a daily, weekly, monthly basis and on the quality of service provided. 1 per cent. of all calls are monitored for quality purposes 
			 Evidence and Inquiry BIADeals with a range of inquiries from other Crown Agencies Facilities in place to record callsalso reports weekly and monthly on a number of quality fronts including one to one sessions with staff and dealing with complaints when received 
			 MP's Hotline BIADeals with MP's House of Lords, European Parliament and members of the Scottish Parliament and devolved Assemblies Performance measured on calls answered against demand on a daily basis and reports management information weekly to managers 
			 CRB Contact Centre Deals with the receipt of telephone calls from applicants, organisations, registered bodies (through whom applicants submit their applications) and other third parties. Time taken to answer calls, percentage of calls answered within 20 seconds, average time to answer calls in seconds, abandoned calls, percentage of calls terminated by the caller, phone contact availability for all lines, percentage of time (during the opening hours of the centre) with all lines unavailable, phone contact availability for a specific phone. Percentage of time during the opening hours of the contact centre 
			 Adelphi Service Centre Deals with invoice payments, expense payments, Adelphi password resets and general assistance The business is based on transactional processing for invoices and expense claims. Support is also offered around the Adelphi System dealing with general inquiries and password resets. This is monitored through contractual service levels and KPI's

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much each telephone contact centre for which her Department is responsible has  (a) cost and  (b) generated in income in each financial year since their establishment.

Liam Byrne: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Contact centre  Purpose  Cost  Generated income 
			 Ashby-de-la-Zouch (Leicestershire) IPSCall arrangements are for customer inquiries and appointment bookingsalso e-mail inquiries such as progress chasers, customer complaints and requests for passport application packs. From 2001 to 2006 an average of 7.5 million per annum for call handling and fulfilment services (includes all IPS contact centres). Average generated income from 2001 to 2006 is approximately 308,000 from 0870 numbers. 
			 
			 Bangor (Northern Ireland) IPS-As above As above The above figure applies to all IPS contact centres 
			 
			 Bristol IPS-As above As above As above 
			 
			 Home Office public switchboard Deals with non-specific callers (those who do not have a name/extension number). The switchboard is run internally at an annual staff cost of 90,000. No income 
			 
			 Immigration Enquiry Bureau (IEB) BIADeals with inquiries from the public relating to general immigration issues, requests for progress on individual cases and requests for immigration application forms. Bespoke financial info is not available for previous years on the call centres, since their annual cost was previously amalgamated with other non-call centre activities. April 2002 to March 200388,333.00 April 2003 to March 200497,212.00 April 2004 to March 2005108,151.00 (This applies to all BIA contact centres) 
			 
			 Sheffield CC BIADeals with inquiries on all work permit schemes and programmes and provides advice to employers on recruiting non UK nationals. The expected running cost for the financial year for 2007-08 is 1.34 million As above 
			 
			 Liverpool CC BIADeals with general inquiries about citizenship and right of abode, requests for progress on individual cases and requests for application forms. The expected running cost for the financial year for 2007-08 is 1.44 million As above 
			 
			 Evidence and Enquiry BIADeals with a range of inquiries from other Crown Agencies. The expected running cost for the financial year for 2007-08 is 1.59 million As above 
			 
			 MP's Hotline BIADeals with MP's House of Lords, European Parliament and Members of the Scottish Parliament and devolved assemblies. Deals with a range of inquiries. The expected running cost for the financial year 2007-08 is 530,000. As above 
			 
			 CRB Contact Centre Deals with the receipt of telephone calls from applicants, organisations, registered bodies (through whom applicants submit their applications) and other third parties. There is no separate charge for the call centreit is wrapped up in the-overall service. No income 
			 
			 Adelphi Service Centre Deals with invoice payments, expense payments, Adelphi password resets and general assistance. Cost for 2006-07 financial year is 349,789.00. No income

Departmental Written Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average her Department took to answer  (a) ordinary written and  (b) named-day questions in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: The information for each member could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	However, a manual check of the parliamentary questions database showed that it took on average, 11 days to answer written questions tabled by the hon. Member for Upper Bann from the start of the 2007-08 session to the 3 July 2008.

Deportation

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to her Department and its agencies was of employing private security firms to enforce deportation orders in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The UK Border Agency has approved four contractors to carry out enforcement of deportation. One of these companies operates the main contract and three are appointed from an approved list on a case by case basis in the event that the main contractor staff are fully deployed and additional capacity is required. The reason UK Border Agency outsources these services is because it does not have the expertise and staffing resources in-house.
	The costs of employing private security firms to enforce deportation orders in each of the last five years are:
	
		
			million 
			 2007-08 10.43 
			 2006-07 9.15 
			 2005-06 7.13 
			 2004-05 4.92 
			 2003-04 3.97

Deportation

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) complaints and  (b) claims have been made against her Department and its agencies and contractors, as a result of alleged injuries and assaults sustained during the enforcement of deportation orders in each of the last five years, broken down by (i) sex, (ii) age, (iii) nationality and (iv) location of alleged incident.

Liam Byrne: We do not differentiate between the enforcement of deportation orders and other removals under immigration powers. The information requested is not collated in this format, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Deportation

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which private security firms her Department has approved to carry out enforcement of deportation orders; which have been contracted to perform such duties; and what the financial value of each such contract will be in each of the next five years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The UK Border Agency has a current contract with G4S to carry out enforcement of deportation. Additional firms are approved and used as required on case by case basis to provide capacity over and above the contract. Owing to the commercial nature of these contracts, if we were to release the information requested on the financial value of each such contract, in each of the next five years this would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of both the UK Border Agency and those companies with whom the UK Border Agency enters into contracts. In view of the fact that the current contract with G4S is in the process of being re-tendered to release this information may prejudice the procurement process.

Deportation: Iran

David Heyes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will suspend the return to Iran of Iranian nationals who are converts to christianity and who have been denied asylum in the UK in light of the consideration by the Iranian Government of a mandatory death sentence for apostasy from Islam.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 July 2008
	We only enforce the return of individuals, including christian converts from Iran, whom we, and the independent immigration judges, are satisfied are not in need of protection.
	Each case is carefully considered on its individual merits against the background of the 1951 UN refugee convention and the latest available country information. We do not accept that each and every asylum seeker who presents themselves as being from a particular country or religion, regardless of their individual circumstances, should automatically be afforded protection in the UK.

Detention Centres

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) families and  (b) people in such families have been detained in immigration removal centres in (i) each year from 1997 to 2007 and (ii) each month in 2008 for which data is available.

Liam Byrne: The historical information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	We can provide local management information on the number of family units taken into detention from 31 March 2006 to date:
	
		
			  Period  Number of family units entering detention 
			 31 March 2006 to 29 March 2007 894 
			 30 March 2007 to 3 April 2008 825 
			 4 April 2008 to 1 May 2008 50 
			 2 May 2008 to 29 May 2008 60 
			 30 May 2008 to 26 June 2008 64 
			 27 June 2008 to 10 July 2008 28 
		
	
	The figures may include families detained on more than one occasion, do not constitute part of the national statistics and are based solely on locally researched management information. This information has not been quality assured under national statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional.
	We do not hold local management information on the number of family members entering detention.
	Quarterly data are published in the asylum statistics United Kingdom quarterly publications, showing the number of people detained solely under Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 powers on the last Saturday of each quarter. Statistics on the total number of persons recorded as being removed from the UK upon leaving detention each quarter are also published.
	Copies of the aforementioned publications are available from the Library of the House and the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish the minutes of the ministerial action group on domestic violence on a regular basis.

Vernon Coaker: We do not publish the minutes of the inter-ministerial group on domestic violence (set up in 2003). This is because the minutes often record the considerations made when formulating and developing Government policy. Any premature disclosure may result in closing off alternative decisions or courses of action.
	A report on the progress made against the national domestic violence delivery plan, which the IMG oversees, is published annually. The annual reports for 2005-06 and 2006-07 are on the website and the report for 2007-08 will be published shortly.

Driving Offences: Fines

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were fined for speeding in England and Wales in each year since 1997, broken down by police force area; and how much was received in fines in each area in each year.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the total revenue from speed limit convictions is not collected centrally.
	Available information relates to the number of fixed penalties issued and the number of fines imposed by the courts. This information is given in the following tables. The fixed penalty level is 60, the maximum fine is Level three (1000)
	Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.
	2007 data will be available later this year.
	
		
			  Table A: Number of fines( 1, 2)  imposed at magistrates courts for speed limit( 3)  offences by police force area, England and Wales, 1997-2006 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,738 5,643 3,532 4,344 5,709 
			 Bedfordshire 1,746 3,432 1,913 2,019 2,332 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,932 3,130 2,653 1,625 756 
			 Cheshire 2,709 3,639 3,621 4,501 3,699 
			 Cleveland 511 976 1,001 984 1,323 
			 Cumbria 2,073 2,161 2,066 1,521 1,548 
			 Derbyshire 3,366 3,654 4,209 4,933 6,005 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,076 3,229 3,486 4547 3,609 
			 Dorset 737 695 792 1,213 902 
			 Durham 345 408 905 1,364 1,749 
			 Essex 5,034 4,743 6,618 6,275 9,131 
			 Gloucestershire 2,343 1,798 1,509 2,131 1,835 
			 Greater Manchester 10,637 14,458 13,228 14,505 10,375 
			 Hampshire 6,565 6,316 7,146 5,995 5,418 
			 Hertfordshire 2,116 2,638 2,771 2,277 2,088 
			 Humberside 959 1,037 2,828 1,908 2,434 
			 Kent 1,533 3,548 1,814 2,245 2,367 
			 Lancashire 3,904 5,067 5,257 5,166 4,370 
			 Leicestershire 1,180 1,858 2,255 2,001 1,750 
			 Lincolnshire 1,880 2,103 3,874 3,528 4,131 
			 London, City of 125 232 232 163 101 
			 Merseyside 3,110 2,002 2,155 1,322 635 
			 Metropolitan Police 10,988 11,045 9,203 8,269 8,840 
			 Norfolk 1,225 1,360 1,697 1,374 1,440 
			 Northamptonshire 228 92 557 248 403 
			 Northumbria 2,100 2,304 2,569 3,519 2,352 
			 North Yorkshire 2,037 1,766 1,408 1,208 1,412 
			 Nottinghamshire 560 1,083 1,236 1,332 1,707 
			 South Yorkshire 2,235 2,304 2,265 2,464 2,587 
			 Staffordshire 2,683 3,196 3,239 1,815 929 
			 Suffolk 1,041 1,456 1,648 1,210 1,238 
			 Surrey 1,467 2,137 3,220 2,911 3,457 
			 Sussex 3,825 3,740 3,256 3,492 2,619 
			 Thames Valley 9,507 14,264 10,814 7,601 9,190 
			 Warwickshire 1,145 1,298 2,960 4,636 3,624 
			 West Mercia 2,259 2,305 2,259 2,696 2,586 
			 West Midlands 5,652 8,622 7,339 3,455 3,949 
			 West Yorkshire 3,736 4,245 5,553 5,819 4,442 
			 Wiltshire 4,464 5,428 5,669 2,301 2,163 
			 England 121,693 140,047 138,763 126,723 125,610 
			 Dyfed Powys 634 767 771 013 650 
			 Gwent 4,728 6,349 7,393 4,036 2,813 
			 North Wales 1,364 1,636 1,594 2,610 2,655 
			 South Wales 1,966 2,651 2,706 2,706 1,754 
			 Wales 8,712 11,306 12,464 10,465 7,872 
			   
			 Total England and Wales 130,605 151,352 151,227 139,188 133,482 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 4,974 6,815 6,923 6,356 8633 
			 Bedfordshire 1,551 3,521 1,171 4,507 4350 
			 Cambridgeshire 521 1,163 1,754 2,101 3466 
			 Cheshire 3,969 3,068 4,153 2,703 2624 
			 Cleveland 1,120 1,282 1,665 1,093 1328 
			 Cumbria 1,604 2,002 2,366 2,549 2953 
			 Derbyshire 3,885 3,527 3,329 2,853 2592 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,415 4,862 4,869 5,102 4625 
			 Dorset 999 1,486 1,666 3,058 3012 
			 Durham 1,603 1,042 718 391 340 
			 Essex 14,670 0583 8592 9,960 7688 
			 Gloucestershire 877 800 786 750 1308 
			 Greater Manchester 7,182 6585 4,745 7,220 6699 
			 Hampshire 4,949 6,270 4,237 5,050 4571 
			 Hertfordshire 2,334 2,167 1,606 2,990 2915 
			 Humberside 1,131 1,179 3,592 3,241 2886 
			 Kent 1,670 2,995 3523 3,636 3074 
			 Lancashire 3,833 8,759 5,030 4,742 5478 
			 Leicestershire 1,726 3,036 2,173 2,184 2554 
			 Lincolnshire 3,692 4557 4,356 4,362 3351 
			 London, City of 580 1,137 1,700 6,200 1741 
			 Merseyside 579 911 693 679 1447 
			 Metropolitan Police 7,530 7,080 6,646 4,381 4653 
			 Norfolk 1,260 2,372 2,764 2,824 3453 
			 Northamptonshire 222 2,836 4,001 3,342 2876 
			 Northumbria 2,555 2,207 3,770 2,880 2856 
			 North Yorkshire 1,236 1,515 2,034 1,545 1362 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,026 3,780 4,146 4,593 3929 
			 South Yorkshire 1,776 1,181 2,684 4,040 4541 
			 Staffordshire 1,091 2520 4,449 4,408 3609 
			 Suffolk 1,266 763 1,820 3,213 3035 
			 Surrey 2,00S 1,493 279 2,876 3828 
			 Sussex 1,745 2,783 247 3,353 3649 
			 Thames Valley 10,989 9,339 8,862 8,290 7545 
			 Warwickshire 1,743 2,323 1,707 1,842 1384 
			 West Mercia 2514 1,320 363 2,023 2396 
			 West Midlands 4,706 5,069 7,362 5,397 4161 
			 West Yorkshire 2,295 '3,349 4,263 5504 5955 
			 Wiltshire 2,678 4,037 4,022 4,180 4308 
			 England 113369 126,494 128,174 146585 141504 
			 Dyfed Powys 614 1,548 1531 1,904 1120 
			 Gwent 2,238 2,645 2,270 2,094 1282 
			 North Wales 3,834 4,319 4,597 4,612 6066 
			 South Wales 1,980 2,924 4,146 3,350 2789 
			 Wales 8,666 11,436 12544 11,960 11567 
			   
			 Total England and Wales 122,555 137,930 141,118 156546 152,461 
			 (1) May include oases where a fixed penalty notice was issued and not paid and referred to court. (2) Magistrates courts data only. Fines given at the Crown court total nationally (England and Wales) less than 20 each year. (3) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1964 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973.  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences are less than complete. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative systems generated by the courts and police force. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Fixed penalty notices issued( 1) for speed limit offences( 2)  by police force area England and Wales, 1907-2006 
			  Number of offences 
			   1997  1998  1999( 3)  2000( 3)  2001( 3) 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,204 18,327 25,897 36,122 30,339 
			 Bedfordshire 8,700 10,255 18,008 16,707 13,415 
			 Cambridgeshire 14,837 13,818 14,662 8,708 6,777 
			 Cheshire 10,785 23,198 18,393 15,356 16,694 
			 Cleveland 3,239 10,734 7,717 23,228 24,160 
			 Cumbria 4,882 4,919 5,058 4,103 3,640 
			 Derbyshire 17,438 22,785 21,771 16,291 24,948 
			 Devon and Cornwall 38,150 32,757 33,882 28,091 33,388 
			 Dorset 11,172 14,738 14,815 18,305 18,605 
			 Durham 3,213 3,930 4,586 9,180 14,156 
			 Essex 48,123 19,282 38,097 56,010 87,038 
			 Gloucestershire 6,260 8,714 6,268 5,781 4,007 
			 Greater Manchester 54,684 51,145 64,318 59,785 50,448 
			 Hampshire 27,480 34,555 46,709 27,566 28,985 
			 Hertfordshire 17,604 14,063 25,687 23,958 23,474 
			 Humberside 9,735 13,759 12,671 22,209 17,228 
			 Kent 28,706 28,009 18,854 24,617 23,044 
			 Lancashire 23,613 32,810 35,335 29,683 27,893 
			 Leicestershire 5,612 9,720 8,791 8,094 7,750 
			 Lincolnshire 6,588 12,368 17,913 28,319 31,487 
			 London, City of 520 907 2,423 353 713 
			 Merseyside 11,808 15,373 15,968 7,385 4,100 
			 Metropolitan Police 45,488 36,690 32,061 54,843 58,412 
			 Norfolk 4,895 5,379 0,267 4,783 5,166 
			 Northamptonshire 3,722 8,836 7,772 34,809 79,827 
			 Northumbria 25,693 34,918 37,472 24,265 40,728 
			 North Yorkshire 11,879 9,924 8,908 5,285 7,438 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,625 6,289 5,512 23,766 24,556 
			 South Yorkshire 39,082 31,585 23,544 20,987 21,566 
			 Staffordshire 22,552 22,044 14,656 13,989 20,372 
			 Suffolk 7,271 12,840 18,088 12,596 12,418 
			 Surrey 5,340 10,252 11,035 12,072 10,424 
			 Sussex 25,124 24,882 22,370 24,880 18,513 
			 Thames Valley 53,285 62,827 48,034 71,888 154,524 
			 Warwickshire 1,857 2,510 2,745 2,099 3,136 
			 West Mercia 15,392 16,502 18,478 22,150 30,504 
			 West Midlands 9,378 11,586 9,546 5,688 15,606 
			 West Yorkshire 24,103 29,635 24,791 24,595 20,937 
			 Wiltshire 11,330 8,494 8,319 16,351 17,941 
			 England 669,409 730,146 755,221 844,656 1,035,562 
			 Dyfed Powys 6,708 0,272 8,222 8,840 6,868 
			 Gwent 5,263 4,214 2,050 16,518 13,209 
			 North Wales 9,146 9,920 11,141 18,880 20,245 
			 South Wales 22,227 27,464 28,850 54,383 75,224 
			 Wales 43,144 50,870 50,263 96,721 115,546 
			   
			 Total England and Wales 712,753 781,016 805/184 941,876 1,151,108 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  2002( 3)  2003( 3)  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 53,846 89,405 85,331 67,933 52,606 
			 Bedfordshire 40,338 66,709 56,762 44,736 48,407 
			 Cambridgeshire 16,435 28,510 18,802 44,887 20,502 
			 Cheshire 13,578 29,564 40,306 25,056 28,570 
			 Cleveland 25,264 24,729 18,039 24,812 19,044 
			 Cumbria 5,797 24,692 31331 27,441 32,023 
			 Derbyshire 71,085 44,517 44,412 30,905 31,484 
			 Devon and Cornwall 31,144 63,916 81,682 53,474 42,487 
			 Dorset 18,688 83,185 71,832 79,522 51,599 
			 Durham 7,687 6,538 4,184 2,816 2,817 
			 Essex 101,063 66,281 66,852 85,746 60,705 
			 Gloucestershire 3,888 3,139 4,813 10,849 13,406 
			 Greater Manchester 35,881 44,903 43,531 59,478 60,282 
			 Hampshire 31,867 45,324 52,587 58,750 49,404 
			 Hertfordshire 23,203 28,896 61,637 49,738 81,805 
			 Humberside 13,389 25,755 52,288 48,494 36,718 
			 Kent 36,645 64,584 66,661 53,289 47,179 
			 Lancashire 158,163 98,660 63233 63,588 57,658 
			 Leicestershire 17,903 45,417 26,357 7,281 24,605 
			 Lincolnshire 27,490 27,070 29,258 32,613 25,750 
			 London, City of 4,782 4,864 6,358 10,275 5,089 
			 Merseyside 8,484 8,863 8,058 16,411 33,049 
			 Metropolitan Police 53,334 80,213 104,920 128,426 102,482 
			 Norfolk 17,116 31,640 26,938 25,117 24,885 
			 Northamptonshire 60,459 49,902 49,108 47,886 42,242 
			 Northumbria 41,050 68,018 94,318 65,708 51,880 
			 North Yorkshire 5,412 5,836 5,971 4,823 5,256 
			 Nottinghamshire 35,771 53,276 53,188 53,686 42,816 
			 South Yorkshire 16,098 61,418 42,635 65,352 51,462 
			 Staffordshire 28,094 47,565 41,249 46,218 50,823 
			 Suffolk 9,477 16,606 40,847 40,029 34,442 
			 Surrey 6,052 7,057 8,200 17,509 38,520 
			 Sussex 23,550 60,384 45,819 58,806 48,827 
			 Thames Valley 121,677 123,586 92,834 97,049 137,312 
			 Warwickshire 14,988 27,737 34,206 40,401 30,316 
			 West Mercia 29,098 78,408 57,844 53,711 46,213 
			 West Midlands 17,782 43,542 58,052 46,612 44,407 
			 West Yorkshire 32,126 70,011 68,827 66,031 40,528 
			 Wiltshire 27,975 42,738 50,841 52,412 61,458 
			 England 1,286,556 1,703,168 1324,892 1,797,950 1,679,128 
			 Dyfed Powys 12,343 3,072 2,221 1,435 1,054 
			 Gwent 2,880 1,013 859 506 531 
			 North Wales 44,458 61,645 51,068 74,485 59,491 
			 South Wales 61,848 65,852 45,343 45,189 33,208 
			 Wales 121,710 131,582 99,492 121,615 94,284 
			   
			 Total England and Wales 1,407,266 1,894,750 1,924,384 1,919,565 1,773,412 
			 (1 )Only covers notices paid where there be no further action. (2) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1964 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1073. (3) Revised since original publication following amendments received from forces.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete, however it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Entry Clearances: Foreign Workers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff her Department employs processing applications for licences to sponsor migrants; and what she expects the average processing time to be for an application made in  (a) May,  (b) June,  (c) July,  (d) August,  (e) September,  (f) October,  (g) November and  (h) December 2008.

Liam Byrne: In total 50 staff will consider applications for sponsor licensing.
	No service level agreements for processing applications have been agreed. We will however shortly publish Service Level Agreements, which will provide key stakeholders with the assurance that their applications will be dealt with in a timely manner.

Entry Clearances: Iran

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for visas from Iranian citizens have been made in each of the last 36 months; and what percentage of applications in each month was successful.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 17 July 2008
	 The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Applications received from Iranian citizens  Percentage issued 
			 July 2005 4,788 76.7 
			 August 2005 4,360 80.0 
			 September 2005 2,750 84.4 
			 October 2005 2,729 85.5 
			 November 2005 2,869 88.0 
			 December 2005 2,659 88.2 
			 January 2006 2,464 91.2 
			 February 2006 3,409 83.9 
			 March 2006 3,712 91.1 
			 April 2006 3,107 93.1 
			 May 2006 5,148 84.8 
			 June 2006 4,960 89.8 
			 July 2006 6,145 91.9 
			 August 2006 5,783 86.0 
			 September 2006 3,335 84.9 
			 October 2006 3,004 84.3 
			 November 2006 3,174 88.6 
			 December 2006 3,015 80.3 
			 January 2007 2,599 83.7 
			 February 2007 3,687 81.6 
			 March 2007 3,729 79.9 
			 April 2007 2,738 86.7 
			 May 2007 4,330 79.1 
			 June 2007 4,939 83.6 
			 July 2007 5,557 76.0 
			 August 2007 5,550 74.0 
			 September 2007 3,376 91.9 
			 October 2007 2,995 75.6 
			 November 2007 3,075 78.0 
			 December 2007 3,014 75.6 
			 January 2008 2,235 77.6 
			 February 2008 3,207 74.2 
			 March 2008 3,172 74.7 
			 April 2008 3,441 70.2 
			 May 2008 2,858 67.6 
			 June 2008 5,122 67.2 
			  Source: Central Reference System

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1443W, on entry clearances: overseas students, whether her figures take account of gap year students entering the UK on  (a) EU passports and  (b) ancestor visas.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The numbers provided in my answer of 8 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1443W, related only to visas issued in the entry category Gap Year Entrant for Work in Schools. UK ancestry is a separate entry category for persons aged 17 or over who intend to take or seek employment in the UK. Persons admitted in this category are allowed to stay for an initial period of five years, after which they may apply for indefinite leave to remain. Unlike the gap year entry category, the UK ancestry route is therefore not restricted to young persons who only wish to spend a limited period of time working in the UK.
	I also confirm that the numbers given do not include EU nationals who have the right of free movement and residence in all member states.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 1443-4W, on entry clearances: overseas students, what allowance has been made for gap year students wishing to take a second working holiday after university.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 July 2008
	Participants will be allowed one period of stay of up to two years under the terms of the new youth mobility scheme. Young people who have previously spent time in the UK on one of our existing youth mobility-type arrangements, except for the working holidaymaker scheme but including the gap year entrants concession, will be eligible to apply to enter under the new youth mobility scheme where they can demonstrate they meet its requirements.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 1443-4W, on entry clearances: overseas students, what arrangements have been made for gap year students who are 17 years of age on entry to the UK but have their 18th birthday during their stay.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 July 2008
	The concession for gap year entrants allows applicants to be aged 17, 18 or 19 when they apply under the concession. A participant in the scheme can enter and remain in the UK for up to 12 months on a gap year entry clearance, and this is not affected by any birthday he may have while in the UK. These conditions will continue to apply to any participants in possession of valid gap year entrant entry clearances when the scheme is abolished later this year prior to the launch of the new youth mobility scheme under the points-based system.

Entry Clearances: Pakistan

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of overstay were recorded against recipients of temporary visas issued in Pakistan between April 2006 and March 2007.

Liam Byrne: No Government have ever been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the country illegally and this includes overstayers who have received temporary visas issued in Pakistan. By its very nature it is impossible to quantify accurately and that remains the case.
	Exit controls were phased out from 1994. As part of the Government's 10-point plan for delivery, by Christmas 2008 the majority of foreign nationals will be counted in and out of the country. This will build on the successes of our early testing of the e-Borders programme (Project Semaphore) which already covers over 30 million passenger movements and has led to 18,000 alerts and more than 1,500 arrests.
	This is part of a sweeping programme of reform to border protection which also includes the global roll-out of fingerprint visas, compulsory watch-list checks for all travellers from high-risk countries before they land in Britain and ID cards for foreign nationals.

Essex Police Authority

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) discussions she has had with and  (b) representations she has received from the Essex police authority since January 2008 on the report on sustainable policing produced by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: None. The case made in Sustainable Policing was taken into account in developing the final police grant settlement tabled by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 4 February.

Essex Police Authority: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary exit schemes at Essex police authority for staff at each grade in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent in 2008-09; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office does not hold information relating to how much was spent on exit schemes at the Essex police authority since 1997-98.

Essex Police Authority: Finance

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) discussions she has had with and  (b) representations she has received from the Essex police authority on (i) overspend and (ii) underspend by the authority since January 2008; what reply was given to such representations; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: We have not received any representations nor held any discussions with Essex police authority on overspends or underspends.
	Decisions on the distribution of resources are matters for the chief officer and the police authority. It is a legal requirement for the police authority to set balanced budgets taking into account any use of reserves.

Essex Police Authority: Job Satisfaction

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of levels of job satisfaction of Essex police authority's staff in each year since 1997; what assessment she has made of trends in such levels; if she will place in the Library copies of such assessments; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office does not hold information relating to the levels of job satisfaction of Essex police authority's staff.

Essex Police Authority: Manpower

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) civilian staff were employed by Essex police authority and its predecessor bodies in (i) 1979, (ii) 1989, (iii) 1999 and (iv) each year since 2001, broken down by (A) age and (B) sex.

Tony McNulty: The available information about the number of personnel in the Essex police is set out in the following tables. Historical data on police staff at force level are not available before 1986 and were not collected by gender until 1995. Data on age are only available from March 2003 and in the format set out at the table.
	
		
			  Table 1: Essex policeofficers and staff by gender( 1) 
			   Police officers  Police staff 
			  As at 31 March  Male  Female  Male  Female 
			 1979 2,259 202 Not available 
			 1989 2,496 250 (2)950.5 
			 1999 2,413 477 419.5 857.5 
			 2001 2,419 468 492.5 933.0 
			 2002 2,433 512 553.5 996.5 
			 2003 2,413 576 602.5 1,050.0 
			 2004 2,443 655 691.0 1,153.0 
			 2005 2,489 701 715.0 1,218.0 
			 2006 2,520 759 724.5 1,208.0 
			 2007 2,468 829 729.0 1,145.5 
			 (1) All figures are full-time equivalent. (2) Data were not collected by gender for police staff until 1995. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Officers and staff by age( 1,2) 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Police officers  
			 25 and under 353 406 460 483 517 
			 26 to 40 1,630 1,696 1,719 1,766 1,592 
			 41 to 55 1,046 1,048 1,080 1,105 1,267 
			 Over 55 11 15 19 20 21 
			   
			  Police staff  
			 25 and under 203 250 235 277 235 
			 26 to 40 614 674 678 674 606 
			 41 to 55 722 742 768 757 785 
			 Over 55 307 398 485 462 509 
			 (1) As these data are not usually published they has not been subjected to the normal verification by the Home Office. (2) Age data are by headcount and will not equate to the full-time equivalent number of officers and staff.

Essex Police Authority: Per Capita Costs

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much funding was allocated per head of population to Essex police authority in 2007-08; how much is planned for 2008-09; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what the police grant funding for Essex police authority was in 2007-08; how much is proposed for 2008-09; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	The Government do not distribute grant to police authorities purely on the basis of population. The police funding formula uses a range of data relating to demographic and social characteristics to reflect the relative needs of each authority. Grant allocations also take into account the relative tax base of each authority. Grant allocations are stabilised by damping to limit year-on-year variations.
	
		
			  Essex police authority Government revenue grant allocations 2007-08 and 2008-09 
			   Government grant( 1 ) ( million)  Resident population (Million) 
			 2007-08 187.91 1.66 
			 2008-09 196.32 1.69 
			 (1) Revenue funding includes all grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services), and includes formula grant and all specific grants.  Sources: Population: Office of National Statistics, mid year population estimates and projections. Grants: DCLG

Essex Police Authority: Redundancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff employed by Essex police authority will be made  (a) voluntarily and  (b) compulsorily redundant in 2008-09; and what cost; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office does not hold information relating to how many staff employed by the Essex police authority will be made redundant (either compulsorily or voluntarily) in 2008-09.

Essex Police Authority: Regulation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation regulates Essex police authority; what amendments have been made to, and what recent representations she has received about the operation of this legislation; what  (a) statutory instruments,  (b) departmental circulars and  (c) other documents she (i) has issued and (ii) plans to issue in the next 12 months consequential to the provisions of this legislation; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Essex police authority, like all police authorities, is regulated by the Police and Justice Act 1996, as amended, and regulations issued under the provisions of that Act. A full list of the amending Acts will be placed in the Library of the House.
	I have recently issued three sets of regulations regarding police authorities, numbered 82, 312, 630 and 631 of 2008. I have also recently issued Home Office circular 004/2008 which concerns policing plans. I plan to issue two further sets of regulations in the next 12 months regarding community engagement of police authorities, and the reporting requirements for police authorities.
	Documents to be placed in the Library of the House:
	Acts of Parliament which have Amended the Police Act 1996
	The Justices of the Peace Act 1997 inserted references to that Act in relation to Justices of the Peace
	The Greater London Authority Act 1999 made amendments to establish the Metropolitan Police Authority
	The Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) (England) Regulations 2000 amended the way councillors are appointed to police authorities
	The Insolvency Act 2000 amended the insolvency disqualification for police authority members
	The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 amended the 1996 Act to allow for Vice-Chairmen of police authorities, to require political balance on police authorities, to dispose of the maximum age requirement for membership of police authorities and to make changes to the allowances for members of police authorities
	The Police Reform Act 2002 removed the need for the Government to approve members' allowances
	The Police and Justice Act 2006 amended the rules on committees of police authorities, removed the best value legislation requirements on police authorities, and enabled the Secretary of State to produce regulations regarding the functions, membership and planning process of police authorities.

Essex Police Authority: Resignations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials of each grade have voluntarily ceased employment, other than through redundancy, in Essex police authority since June 2007.

Tony McNulty: This information is not collected centrally.

Foreign Workers: Domestic Service

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many migrant domestic worker visas were issued at British embassies in each of the last three years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 2 April 2008
	The total number of domestic worker visas issued at British missions overseas in each of the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 17,185 
			 2006 18,259 
			 2007 16,906

Hezbollah

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to ensure that money raised in the UK for political, social or humanitarian activities by Hezbollah is not used to fund terrorist action.

Tony McNulty: On 2 July 2008, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary laid a draft order that will, if approved by Parliament, proscribe Hezballah's military wing in substitution for the existing entry on the proscribed list, the 'Hezballah external security organisation'. Where allegations are made of links between a charity and terrorist activity, the Charity Commission for England and Wales will deal with them as an immediate priority. It is an operational matter for the police to investigate any allegations that money is being raised or used for terrorist purposes, and the Charity Commission will co-operate fully with the police and other agencies in such cases.

Hunting

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) charges,  (b) prosecutions,  (c) fines and  (d) cautions there have been for breaches of the Hunting Act 2004 in each police force area since 2006.

Vernon Coaker: In 2006, there were 11 defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, five defendants found guilty at all courts and five sentenced to a fine for offences under the Hunting Act 2004. There were no offenders cautioned under the Act during the period. Information for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.

Identity Cards: Fess and Charges

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the likely cost to the individual of  (a) having a suitable photograph taken for and  (b) enrolling their biometrics in the identity card scheme.

Meg Hillier: The 2008 delivery plan sets out that the Identity and Passport Service are currently looking at new ways of recording fingerprints and photographs to make it easy and convenient for individuals to be enrolled onto the national identity register. For example, we are looking to a future where the market would provide biometric enrolment services, giving citizens a choice of competing services which should maximise convenience and drive down price.
	We are currently considering how best this can be provided to the highest possible security standards, through a market with competing third parties. Until this work is completed, we are unable to speculate on the final costs to individual citizens.

Illegal Immigrants

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were detected trying to enter the UK illegally in each year since 1997; how many of those people subsequently claimed asylum; and how many were removed from the UK after their asylum claim was rejected.

Liam Byrne: The information about the number of people who were detected trying to enter the UK illegally prior to 2002 is not available due to a change in our data collection systems in 2003. Official figures for 2007 are not yet available.
	Locally collated management information for the period 2003 to 2006 is provided in the following tables. The figures include all those illegal entrants detected at ports of entry.
	Between 2003 and 2006, 5,917 people were detected trying to enter the UK illegally, or seeking to enter illegally, while during the same period nearly 48,000 were detected in France and Belgium seeking to enter the UK illegally. A further 74,000 illegal entrants were prevented from flying to the UK through the combined efforts of the airline liaison officer network and respective carriers.
	The additional information requested in relation to how many of these people subsequently claimed asylum and how many of those were then removed from the United Kingdom could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  N umber of people detected trying to enter the UK illegally from 2003 until 2006, broken down by port 
			   Total each year 
			  Initiating port/local enforcement office  2003  2004  2005  2006  2003-06 
			 Aberdeen 0 0 0 2 2 
			 Dorset Ports Office 0 0 18 123 141 
			 Dover 1,690 871 661 611 3,833 
			 Dartford 31 38 8 32 109 
			 Harwich 31 32 32 27 122 
			 Hull 304 186 81 45 616 
			 Newhaven 17 71 36 26 150 
			 Plymouth 0 0 0 2 2 
			 Portsmouth Ports Office 0 187 108 74 369 
			 Purfleet 14 52 1 0 67 
			 Ramsgate 122 48 48 110 328 
			 Sheerness 2 0 0 0 2 
			 Tees Ports Office 53 14 6 21 94 
			 Tilbury Ports Office 15 15 1 19 50 
			 Tyne Commission Quay 5 15 11 1 32 
			   
			 Total 2,284 1,529 1,011 1,093 5,917 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for 2003 for Portsmouth, Plymouth and Dorset were not available. 2. These data have been compiled from locally held Management Information and as such do not represent National Statistics. They may therefore be subject to change. 
		
	
	
		
			  The number of individual attempts by people crossing the Channel illegally at the juxtaposed controls 
			   Total each year 
			  UK juxtaposed controls( 1)  2003  2004  2005  2006  2003-06 
			 Calais 3,236 6,189 9,746 12,508 31,679 
			 Coquelles 3,396 2,969 2,427 2,160 10,952 
			 Dunkerque 0 1,296 1,691 2,230 5,217 
			 Total 6,632 10,454 13,864 16,898 47,848 
			 (1) The UK Juxtaposed Controls figures incorporate all detections made by all agencies including Calais Chamber of Commerce (CCCI), Eamus Cork Solutions (ECS), UK Border Agency. 
		
	
	
		
			  N umber of inadequately documented passengers denied boarding from flights to UK, by carriers after reference to ALO and by carriers without reference to ALO, from 2003 until 2006 
			   Number 
			 2003 16,508 
			 2004 16,767 
			 2005 15,255 
			 2006 26,307 
			 Total 74,747 
		
	
	There is a big increase in the figures from 2005-06. Prior to 2006 we only kept detailed denied boarding figures on ALO home locations and not the region for which they were responsible.

Illegal Immigrants

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to reduce illegal immigration since 1997.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 29 February 2008
	Over the last 12 months we have drawn up plans for the biggest ever shake-up of Britain's border security. This year we will make the change.
	We have put in place fingerprint checks before we issue a visa anywhere in the world. We have already delivered 1.4 million sets of finger scans, generating over 14,000 hits and bringing to notice 1,255 cases of identity swaps.
	In February, we introduced large on the spot fines for employers who don't make the right checks. In financial year 2006-07, there were 15 successful prosecutions including cautions under section 8, and 21 so far this financial year.
	Last month we introduced the first stage of the points based system as part of a phased approach to manage the flow of migrants coming to the UK. Applicants under the points based system will earn points for their skills and the potential they show for economic success, competence in the English language and ability to support themselves and their dependents. It is a simple, transparent and objective process that enables us to ensure that only those migrants who benefit the UK can come here to work or study. So far over 1,800 applications have been received under tier 1, highly skilled migrant workers. Future tiers will include students, skilled workers, youth mobility and temporary workers.
	On 1 April we launched the UK Border Agency, an organisation of 25,000 staff, with a presence in 135 countries world-wide. The new agency will protect our border with single immigration and customs checks, tackle smuggling, immigration crime and border tax fraud, and implement fast and fair decisions.
	We have already had successes thanks to exporting the border. Airline liaison officers have assisted in preventing nearly 180,000 people boarding planes over the last five years. That's equivalent to about two jumbo jets a week. In 2007 our strengthening of cross channel border controls stopped 17,658 individual attempts to cross the channel illegally. Additionally at juxtaposed controls in France and Belgium we have refused over 6,000 people entry to the UK. This means the number of illegal immigrants arriving in Kent from juxtaposed locations has reduced by 86 per cent. since 2002.

Illegal Immigrants: Deportation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what means her Department ensures that deported convicted foreign nationals cannot return to the United Kingdom at a later date.

Liam Byrne: The UK Border Agency maintains a database which contains information on all foreign nationals who are deported from the United Kingdom. All passengers arriving in the UK and all visa applicants are checked against this database. On the basis of that, immigration officers and entry clearance officers will make a decision (under paragraph 320(2) of the immigration rules) on entry to the UK.

Immigration

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department plans to collect additional data from migrants via landing cards.

Liam Byrne: A new style landing card is being phased in to reflect the changes to the UK Border Agency. This includes an extra question as to the passenger's proposed length of stay in the UK.
	In addition, as the e-Borders programme rolls out, we will be collecting additional passenger information. Full details of the information to be collected by e-Borders has been outlined in schedule 1 to The Immigration and Police (Passenger, Crew and Service Information) Order 2008, which formed part of the legislative package underpinning the e-Borders programme. The order came into force on 1 March 2008, after clearing parliamentary scrutiny.
	The longer term future of the landing card is under review.

Immigration

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many legacy immigration cases were being handled by her Department on 31 March 2008.

Liam Byrne: We have previously estimated that there are around 400,000 to 450,000 electronic and paper records, although this is difficult to assess accurately as many case records are dependants, duplicates or errors. This figure does not therefore equate to numbers of asylum applicants. Lin Homer is due to update the Home Affairs Select Committee shortly on the latest position in regard to progress.

Immigration: Children

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to ascertain and record the citizenship of children who  (a) accompany foreign national parents (i) into immigration detention and (ii) upon removal from the UK and  (b) are included in family removal directions made under section 10A of the Immigration Act 1971.

Liam Byrne: Information relating to families and dependant children including welfare issues, preparatory and detention visits, actual detention, mitigating circumstances, absent family members, removal and citizenship is ascertained during contact management events and recorded on the recently introduced family welfare form. This information is also recorded electronically and on the family's paper file.
	The general processes followed in relation to family cases are all contained within chapter 45 of the enforcement instructions and guidance. Processes concerning the setting of removal directions and actual removal under Para 9 and 10 of Schedule 2 of the Immigration Act 1971 are in chapter 47.
	The enforcement instructions and guidance is available to view on the UK Border Agency external website at:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/enforcement/

Immigration: Police Custody

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  on how many occasions the immigration service has used police cells to hold immigrants in each police force area in each year since 1997; and what the average cost of such accommodation was in each year in each police force area;
	(2)  what the nightly rate paid by the immigration Service for the use of police cells was to each police force in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

Lost Working Days

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many working days have been lost due to industrial action by employees for which her Department is responsible in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Table 1 shows the total number of days lost due to industrial action in Home Office headquarters, UK Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau in 2007 and 2008.
	The Department does not hold historical information on levels of industrial action. The payroll system holds details of absence due to industrial action but it is not possible to produce accurate information prior to 2007 due to the level of payroll changes over time.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of days lost due to industrial action 
			  Period  Number 
			 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007 10,954 
			 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2008 2,586

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer the letter to her dated 29 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Nafeesha Babri.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 21 July 2008.

Migrant Workers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take in response to the judicial review judgement CO/924/2007 on the highly skilled migrants programme; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: We published our response to this judgment on the UK Border Agency website on 10 July:
	http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/hsmpforumjudicialreview
	A copy will be placed in the House Library.

Offensive Weapons: Detection Rates

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the percentage clear-up rate for knife crime in each region was in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many people in each region of England and Wales were charged with offences relating to knife crime in each of the last three years;
	(3)  how many offences were committed in each region of England and Wales in which a knife was employed by the perpetrator in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: It is not possible to identify those offences that are knife-related from the data centrally collected on overall recorded crime. However, since April 2007, police forces have been providing the Home Office with aggregate data on serious violence (attempted murder, grevious bodily harm and robbery) involving knives and sharp instruments. Data relating to such offences recorded during 2007-08 were published in table 3.09 of the recent Crime in England and Wales 2007/08 statistical bulletin. A breakdown by region is shown in table A. Information about the number of persons charged and number of offences detected, or 'cleared-up', by police cannot be provided as they are not collected on the new statistical return.
	Available data from the homicide index relates to offences currently recorded as homicide where the apparent method of killing was 'sharp instrument', as at 12 November 2007. Table B shows the number of such offences recorded within each region in England and Wales in the years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07, the number of these homicides with a current suspect and the number that have resulted in a homicide conviction. Figures for 2007-08 are scheduled to be published in January 2009.
	
		
			  Table A: Knife and sharp instrument offences( 1)  recorded by the police for selected offences( 2) , by region: England and Wales 2007-08 
			  Region  Number of offences 
			 North East 613 
			 North West 3,709 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,629 
			 East Midlands 1,316 
			 West Midlands 2,826 
			 East of England 1,112 
			 London 7,428 
			 South East 1,432 
			 South West 920 
			 Wale 897 
			 British Transport Police 269 
			 England and Wales 22,151 
			 (1) Refers to the use of a knife or sharp instrument. (2) Total of selected serious offences only: attempted murder; wounding with intent to do GBH; wounding or inflicting GBH (i.e. without intent), which includes racially or religiously aggravated wounding or inflicting GBH; robbery of business property; robbery of personal property. Other offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument may exist, but are not shown in this table. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Currently recorded homicides( 1 ) where apparent method of killing is sharp instrument( 2) , by region: England and Wales, 2004-05 to 2006-07( 3,4) 
			  Number 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Region  Total number of offences recorded  With current suspect  Resulted in homicide conviction  Total number of offences recorded  With current suspect  Resulted in homicide conviction  Total number of offences recorded  With current suspect  Resulted in homicide conviction 
			 North East 11 11 10 13 13 12 18 17 7 
			 North West 44 40 31 29 28 20 29 20 6 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 26 26 23 20 20 17 20 17 11 
			 East Midlands 11 11 11 18 18 15 24 20 11 
			 West Midlands 30 27 25 25 23 17 28 21 7 
			 East of England 13 12 9 18 16 11 25 24 6 
			 London 62 57 54 56 54 44 69 48 9 
			 South East 30 29 26 25 24 10 21 15 2 
			 South West 19 17 14 8 8 7 13 7 5 
			 Wales 13 13 11 7 7 6 11 9 5 
			 British Transport Police  
			 England and Wales 259 243 214 219 211 159 258 198 69 
			 (1) As at 12 November 2007; figures are revised as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (2) Includes knives as well as other sharp instruments. (3) Offences are shown according to the year in which the police initially recorded the offence as homicide. This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made. (4) Data for 2007-08 are scheduled to be published in January 2009.

Olympic Games 2012: Security

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when the costed security plan being prepared by the Olympic security directorate will be finalised;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the  (a) total costs and  (b) costs additional to existing budgets of providing security for the Olympic games in each year until 2012.

Jacqui Smith: A costed security plan for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games will be agreed by the end of 2008. 600 million has been allocated for policing and wider security, in addition to the provision by the Olympic Delivery Authority and by the London organising committee for the Olympic games.

Overseas Students: Languages

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to prevent unaccredited language schools being used as avenues for illegal entry into the UK.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 July 2008
	 We have been working closely with the Joint Education Taskforce and Ofsted and from early 2009 accreditation by an independent accreditation body approved by the UK Border Agency will be required by all private education providers that recruit international students.
	This means that any private college delivering English language courses to international students coming to the UK under our new Australian-style points system or in the student visitor category will need to hold independent accreditation.
	The intention of demanding independent accreditation will be to assure the UK Border Agency that an institution is genuinely providing good quality education rather than offering low quality courses for the purposes of facilitating applications by bogus students.
	In the interim the UK Border Agency will continue to act upon allegations and intelligence relating to English language schools that are suspected of being bogus.

Passports: Interviews

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the cost of each of the passport interview centres was in June 2008;
	(2)  how many people had been interviewed at each of the passport interview centres by 30 June 2008; and what the cost per interview was for each office.

Meg Hillier: The total operating costs for the interview office network of 68 offices during June 2008 was 2.4 million, which excludes the cost of depreciation of relevant set-up capital expenditure. There are a number of central costs within the 2.4 million such as call centre appointments and IT maintenance that make it impossible to give meaningful comprehensive monthly costs for each individual office. A total of 32,792 interviews were carried out in the network during June resulting in an average cost per interview of 73.19, just below the planned figure.

Passports: Lost Property

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports were reported lost or stolen by people aged  (a) under 18,  (b) between 19 and 25,  (c) between 25 and 35,  (d) between 35 and 45,  (e) between 45 and 55,  (f) between 55 and 65 and  (g) over 65 years old in the last year for which figures are available.

Meg Hillier: Procedures and supporting systems for reporting lost, stolen and recovered British passports were introduced in December 2003. Since then the Identity and Passport Service has provided a range of management information on the number of passports that have been processed under these arrangements. In 2007 there were 251,751 reports of lost passports and 41,393 reports of stolen passports. In addition, 10,428 passports were reported under the other category, which includes those damaged or destroyed. The systems, however, do not capture specifically the age of the holder whose passport is reported lost or stolen.

Police Custody: ICT

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the development and provision of electronic custody systems for the police; when such systems will be available; what the expected cost of such systems is; what the cost of their development has been to date; and what the planned date was for such systems to be available.

Tony McNulty: All forces now have an electronic custody system in use at all custody sites. 24 police forces are equipped with the national strategy for police information systems custody system. The other 19 forces have implemented alternative custody systems that conform to the same data standards.
	The cost of these systems varies from force to force, depending upon the size of the force and the particular system chosen. Furthermore, some systems were deployed as part of an integrated suite of applications and so the actual cost of the custody element cannot be identified separately.
	The target date for the implementation of these systems was 31 March 2008.

Police Stations: Closures

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations were closed in each police force area in each year since 1997-98.

Tony McNulty: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the chief officer, who are responsible for assessing local needs.

Police: Bureaucracy

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of time police officers spent on frontline policing duties in each police force in each year since 2001.

Tony McNulty: The information is set out in the following table has only been collected since 2003-04. The frontline policing measure does not cover a range of essential, but not frontline activities, including time spent at court, crime prevention activities, custody duties, operational planning, call handling duties or time spent on non-incident related paperwork.
	
		
			  Time spent on front-line policing 2003-04 to 2006-07 
			  Front line policing  Baseline year 2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 57.7 59.0 63.4 58.0 
			 Bedfordshire 63.2 63.3 62.1 66.2 
			 Cambridgeshire 61.1 60.3 70.7 63.0 
			 Cheshire 63.2 57.7 64.6 63.6 
			 City of London 64.7 63.1 69.1 70.6 
			 Cleveland 58.5 53.6 55.2 56.1 
			 Cumbria 59.9 61.0 59.1 61.9 
			 Derbyshire 61.6 62.5 70.3 71.2 
			 Devon and Cornwall 67.1 64.0 63.1 60.8 
			 Dorset 67.8 68.2 68.5 69.4 
			 Durham 60.7 59.0 59.5 57.8 
			 Dyfed-Powys 65.1 64.1 63.3 62.2 
			 Essex 56.8 60.9 62.9 64.8 
			 Gloucestershire 64.6 68.1 66.5 67.8 
			 Greater Manchester 63.7 61.1 61.2 58.6 
			 Gwent 49.4 65.1 60.2 67.7 
			 Hampshire 65.7 67.0 67.3 67.9 
			 Hertfordshire 60.4 62.9 64.5 65.9 
			 Humberside 57.6 57.3 56.4 65.9 
			 Kent 58.8 66.4 67.6 70.1 
			 Lancashire 62.2 64.3 62.4 63.4 
			 Leicestershire 60.4 60.8 67.8 70.1 
			 Lincolnshire 55.3 64.4 66.5 63.8 
			 Merseyside 55.1 51.5 61.4 62.9 
			 Metropolitan Police 65.0 62.4 61.9 61.7 
			 Norfolk 61.0 62.9 66.8 65.9 
			 North Wales 63.9 63.4 63.9 63.9 
			 North Yorkshire 63.0 64.1 66.7 61.1 
			 Northamptonshire 64.0 60.2 65.4 64.3 
			 Northumbria 57.1 61.8 62.6 66.4 
			 Nottinghamshire 59.5 57.6 59.6 63.9 
			 South Wales 60.5 62.0 60.9 60.7 
			 South Yorkshire 60.4 64.9 67.1 68.8 
			 Staffordshire 59.2 61.5 66.7 73.1 
			 Suffolk 62.9 60.6 59.5 66.2 
			 Surrey 61.0 62.2 63.0 64.9 
			 Sussex 60.9 60.6 61.6 61.1 
			 Thames Valley 59.5 59.8 66.1 64.0 
			 Warwickshire 64.7 66.3 65.9 63.9 
			 West Mercia 63.6 62.8 64.5 64.3 
			 West Midlands 62.2 63.6 61.8 64.7 
			 West Yorkshire 62.2 67.4 70.6 76.0 
			 Wiltshire 62.3 63.3 63.8 66.7 
			 England and Wales 62.0 62.3 63.6 64.2

Police: Complaints

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been made to the Independent Police Complaints Commission in each year since its establishment.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 21 July 2008
	 Responsibility for the collation and publication of data with regard to complaints against the police rests with the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Police: Firearms

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  on how many operations firearms were issued to police officers in England and Wales in each year since 1997; in how many of these operations weapons were discharged by police officers; and how many police officers were qualified to carry firearms in each of the last nine years;
	(2)  how many police officers were armed while on duty in each of the last 10 years in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) each police force area.

Tony McNulty: The number of police operations in which firearms were authorised to be used in each force area since 1997, and the number of authorised firearms officers in those forces, are shown in the following tables. The number of incidents where a conventional firearm was used is also shown.
	Statistics on the police use of firearms are published annually by way of a written ministerial statement. Statistics for the last five years were published in my written ministerial statement of 31 January 2008.
	
		
			  Number of operations in which firearms were authorised 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Total 12,379 11,842 10,928 10,915 11,109 13,991 14,827 16,657 15,981 18,891 18,053 
			 Avon and Somerset 312 139 88 90 65 195 262 311 333 247 285 
			 Bedfordshire 345 323 260 190 294 237 301 442 475 575 684 
			 Cambridgeshire 54 96 43 75 71 114 57 104 241 201 207 
			 Cheshire 288 216 299 386 545 419 451 397 358 367 340 
			 Cleveland 1,026 103 35 76 28 37 170 453 530 657 293 
			 City of London 308 307 147 125 3 40 131 364 404 323 239 
			 Cumbria 72 68 52 24 30 71 77 72 152 112 92 
			 Derbyshire 109 147 176 178 167 275 401 369 287 305 223 
			 Devon and Cornwall 160 133 61 65 151 101 96 112 71 84 80 
			 Dorset 36 54 69 79 174 184 193 231 223 263 354 
			 Durham 131 103 114 114 40 89 83 156 144 291 340 
			 Essex 331 505 590 497 435 323 312 275 296 432 245 
			 Gloucestershire 41 51 52 52 48 165 185 127 176 229 280 
			 Greater Manchester 214 165 160 224 357 580 518 507 461 478 481 
			 Hampshire 245 217 129 103 114 198 162 208 237 289 352 
			 Hertfordshire 96 82 75 73 86 112 172 195 185 187 280 
			 Humberside 291 472 317 193 158 297 187 183 206 362 235 
			 Kent 236 423 92 85 83 115 137 207 163 219 170 
			 Lancashire 333 338 616 267 242 232 238 318 241 240 410 
			 Leicestershire 155 89 109 222 217 300 268 295 260 363 334 
			 Lincolnshire 58 52 57 155 336 477 392 386 294 220 157 
			 Merseyside 671 675 484 489 825 1020 628 751 733 669 727 
			 Metropolitan 2,439 2,578 2,742 2,862 1,862 2,447 3,199 3,563 2,964 4,711 3,878 
			 Norfolk 166 128 185 239 226 175 200 178 195 175 153 
			 Northamptonshire 64 77 51 57 58 43 138 148 158 137 156 
			 Northumbria 1,360 823 683 465 708 1,440 1,275 1,140 977 611 332 
			 North Yorkshire 65 102 69 612 72 92 100 147 185 183 282 
			 Nottinghamshire 84 306 266 255 233 384 452 459 408 394 289 
			 South Yorkshire 155 302 135 237 127 258 463 484 546 749 737 
			 Staffordshire 257 240 209 174 203 232 281 255 216 171 250 
			 Suffolk 180 193 174 165 176 163 270 251 153 202 256 
			 Surrey 133 87 60 143 221 245 247 203 151 222 222 
			 Sussex 235 330 123 185 353 248 204 280 187 190 201 
			 Thames valley 215 227 158 110 153 179 167 195 289 427 264 
			 Warwickshire 97 152 291 194 233 130 149 164 124 180 162 
			 West Mercia 106 132 130 110 36 117 91 197 162 122 155 
			 West Midlands 270 227 305 362 485 822 902 1,377 1,264 1,044 1,557 
			 West Yorkshire 617 630 662 813 822 757 604 575 853 1,335 1,272 
			 Wiltshire 26 26 24 19 66 45 58 63 88 139 226 
			 Dyfed Powys 17 27 38 37 18 28 29 28 51 63 72 
			 Gwent 89 86 64 39 30 20 37 40 81 94 133 
			 North Wales 233 310 386 371 195 302 259 197 223 350 340 
			 South Wales 59 101 148 255 363 283 281 250 236 279 308 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of incidents where conventional firearms were used 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999- 20 00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Incidents 5 3 5 7 9 11 10 4 5 9 3 
			 Percentage of incidents compared with number of authorised operations 0.040 0.025 0.046 0.064 0.081 0.079 0.067 0.024 0.031 0.048 0.017 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of authorised firearms officers (AFOs) 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1 9 99- 20 00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Total 6,738 6,585 6,308 6,262 6,064 5,776 5,763 6,096 6,243 6,584 6,728 
			 Avon and Somerset 165 161 153 150 135 116 84 122 118 117 103 
			 Bedfordshire 46 42 50 46 45 48 53 58 56 59 57 
			 Cambridgeshire 90 80 80 77 73 56 71 60 60 50 46 
			 Cheshire 70 82 70 75 74 81 89 75 76 73 80 
			 Cleveland 86 84 78 80 75 85 80 95 100 100 105 
			 City of London 88 81 55 73 74 73 72 86 89 86 45 
			 Cumbria 108 122 98 9$ 94 92 87 89 90 89 90 
			 Derbyshire 110 100 87 77 81 80 69 70 74 75 69 
			 Devon and Cornwall 151 147 82 119 100 108 115 132 123 122 132 
			 Dorset 74 72 72 66 67 57 59 60 64 62 67 
			 Durham 138 144 96 101 101 86 102 97 103 100 102 
			 Essex 228 217 235 228 195 180 184 186 202 205 220 
			 Gloucestershire 82 84 79 77 72 71 80 82 93 92 94 
			 Greater Manchester 209 182 217 218 240 219 202 205 187 245 217 
			 Hampshire 106 112 110 111 100 87 94 94 92 97 83 
			 Hertfordshire 42 41 43 52 44 46 47 50 53 52 49 
			 Humberside 90 102 102 97 102 96 96 96 101 92 83 
			 Kent 150 150 130 136 136 113 93 90 94 94 98 
			 Lancashire 132 125 132 143 132 138 129 122 115 123 103 
			 Leicestershire 104 94 90 90 85 69 68 51 53 59 67 
			 Lincolnshire 82 85 75 78 80 91 87 78 86 87 75 
			 Merseyside 147 165 121 96 103 78 84 94 93 129 139 
			 Metropolitan 2,035 1,971 1,951 1,977 1,940 1,805 1,823 2,060 2,134 2,331 2,584 
			 Norfolk 98 102 109 110 114 104 109 114 125 119 127 
			 Northamptonshire 92 92 92 75 77 51 56 52 50 56 59 
			 Northumbria 173 126 123 114 109 125 99 90 93 98 92 
			 North Yorkshire 108 95 83 59 66 66 64 60 56 78 67 
			 Nottinghamshire 128 129 120 116 137 136 131 138 138 149 146 
			 South Yorkshire 110 108 90 100 98 92 100 98 122 116 118 
			 Staffordshire 78 86 92 81 67 71 63 67 76 70 82 
			 Suffolk 82 96 101 98 90 90 80 96 88 84 78 
			 Surrey 76 61 69 71 72 62 48 53 49 51 45 
			 Sussex 180 146 156 131 118 120 141 134 130 129 129 
			 Thames valley 185 194 179 187 185 156 180 172 176 180 186 
			 Warwickshire 41 38 44 54 45 50 51 46 53 55 59 
			 West Mercia 155 159 139 129 130 125 131 139 141 152 133 
			 West midlands 88 95 92 93 83 111 110 124 134 145 175 
			 West Yorkshire 131 114 128 110 117 116 132 140 130 150 148 
			 Wiltshire 134 105 88 89 71 71 78 80 74 72 69 
			 Dyfed Powys 70 71 67 65 61 77 62 58 79 68 72 
			 Gwent 70 59 64 68 66 57 60 71 74 86 64 
			 North Wales 72 90 97 92 67 83 75 73 65 57 56 
			 South Wales 134 176 169 155 143 138 125 139 134 130 115

Police: Fuels

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect of increases in the cost of fuel on police services in  (a) Hertfordshire and  (b) England and Wales; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent representations she has received on the effect of increases in the cost of fuel on the police service; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: We have received no such representations.
	This is an operational matter for each police authority and chief constable.

Police: Internet

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on the website www.police.uk in each month since its inception; what the budget for the website is for 2008-09; how many staff are employed to maintain the website; and how many unique visitors there were to the website in each month since its inception.

Tony McNulty: The website www.police.uk/ (also known as the 'Police Portal') provided a national communications channel for the police service. The total annual cost of running this service was just under 2 million per annum. Most of the costs associated with running the portal were charged on an annual basis and there was little variation from month to month.
	There is no budget for the website in 2008-09 and no staff are currently employed to maintain this website. This is because the Police Portal service ceased on 31 March 2007 when the contract with the service provider then providing the operational service came to an end.
	The numbers of unique visitors per month can only be estimated. However, on the basis of the IP addresses used it is estimated that in the period from 1 January 2006 until the portal's cessation on 31 March 2007 the numbers of unique visitors were as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 January 2006 52,516 
			 February 2006 46,338 
			 March 2006 50,084 
			 April 2006 47,775 
			 May 2006 49,935 
			 June 2006 47,051 
			 July 2006 45,063 
			 August 2006 76,386 
			 September 2006 68,880 
			 October 2006 57,802 
			 November 2006 57,259 
			 December 2006 75,101 
			   
			 January 2007 92,424 
			 February 2007 84,294 
			 March 2007 84,851

Police: North Yorkshire

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the level of provision of policing in the sparsely populated countryside of north Yorkshire; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The provision of policing across the force area is a matter for the chief officer and the police authority.

Police: Pay

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) the total and  (b) the average overtime payments for police officers were in each police force in England and Wales for each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: Data on police overtime is produced by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Police officer overtime for 1997-98 to 2006-07, broken down by police force areas, is shown in table A as follows. The average overtime payment can be calculated by dividing the overtime payment by the official number of police officers for that year (using Home Office figures) and is shown in table B as follows.
	
		
			  Table A: Total Police Officer overtime expenditure by force, 1997-98 to 2006-07 
			  Overtime spend 000 
			  Force  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-0 7 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,835 3,103 4,054 3,443 5,112 7,000 6,899 6,870 5,351 5,801 
			 Bedfordshire 1,603 2,132 2,372 2,709 3,992 4,106 4,708 4,693 4,181 4,398 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,008 2,081 2,279 2,920 4,102 5,175 4,238  5,550 4,976 
			 Cheshire 2,946 2,875 3,406 3,175 3,200 4,751 4,261 3,278 3,951 5,275 
			 City of London 1,554 1,386 1,934 2,065 2,375 2,602 2,135 2,185 1,955 1,096 
			 Cleveland 1,691 1,986 2,713 2,096 2,996 4,035 3,479 2,188 4,038 4,834 
			 Cumbria 1,256 1,376 1,865 1,730 2,095  2,314 2,201 2,317 2,042 
			 Derbyshire 2,108 2,287 3,512 2,718 3,278 4,010 3,542 4,009 3,822 3,778 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,634 3,988 4,653 4,831 7,658 6,441 5,476 6,026 6,566 6,568 
			 Dorset 1,606 1,619 1,812 1,976 2,233 2,880 2,790 3,581 3,089 3,413 
			 Durham 2,046 2,550 2,835 2,538 3,083 3,151 2,868 3,325 3,158 3,221 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,437 1,504 1,582 1,694 2,017 2,458 1,794 1,936 2,163 2,724 
			 Essex 4,983 6,117 7,204 8,708 8,401 10,601 8,678 10,444 10,688 10,944 
			 Gloucestershire 1,625 1,826 2,416 2,209 2,337 3,257 3,430 2,766 3,273 2,854 
			 Greater Manchester 7,907 8,902 13,999 12,518 15,981 19,438 14,727 16,138 16,226 22,671 
			 Gwent 1,788 1,954 2,934 2,993 3,020 3,184 4,077 3,447 4,123 3,993 
			 Hampshire 6,016 7,367 8,322 7,109 8,557 11,603 9,703 11,818 11,243 12,001 
			 Hertfordshire 2,907 2,806 3,840 7,056  9,036 7,494 6,854 6,576 6,742 
			 Humberside 3,046 3,304 4,259 4,486 5,760 5,790 5,375 5,896 5,991 7,461 
			 Kent 4,984 5,307 6,695 6,941 7,420 10,301 9,523 9,877 11,405 11,992 
			 Lancashire 4,006 4,853 3,360 4,772 6,773 9,595 7,758 7,057 7,226 7,349 
			 Leicestershire 2,634 2,787 3,122 2,946 3,305 4,404 4,123 4,342 4,720 4,482 
			 Lincolnshire 1,781 1,702 2,380 2,945 2,537 3,199 2,193 2,856 2,345 2,214 
			 Merseyside 6,372 8,411 9,207 8,848 10,455 11,144 11,637 12,577 12,103 11,215 
			 Metropolitan Police 57,483 61,816 83,713 94,930 96,428 112,228 132,815 135,717 150,274 136,901 
			 Norfolk 3,260 2,826 3,694 3,848 3,737 3,884 3,653 3,950 3,640 3,374 
			 North Wales 1,798 1,798 2,389 2,594 2,740 3,446 3,885 3,403 4,099 2,767 
			 North Yorkshire 2,111 2,364 3,048 3,738 3,584 3,534 3,199 3,690 4,889 4,352 
			 Northamptonshire 1,865 2,181 2,157 2,197  2,688 1,311 2,991 2,246 834 
			 Northumbria 5,037 5,007 3,970 4,421 4,776 6,217 6,452 7,395 7,736 8,135 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,215 2,660 3,567 3,210 4,304 4,626  6,782 5,886 5,091 
			 South Wales 2,599 2,805 3,845 4,181 3,993 4,977 5,328 6,291 5,002 6,473 
			 South Yorkshire 5,661 5,712 6,218 5,605  8,097 7,601 8,962 9,467 9,605 
			 Staffordshire 3,080 3,347  4,664 5,089 7,580 6,241 5,973 6,054 5,210 
			 Suffolk 1,304 1,421 1,367 1,760 1,775 1,815 2,031 2,171 2,041 3,467 
			 Surrey  2,457 3,999 5,028 5,674 6,573 5,676 6,228 6,322 6,354 
			 Sussex 3,985 3,753  14,418 8,159 6,098 7,971 8,887 8,213 7,271 
			 Thames Valley 7,408 6,919 7,713 8,381 12,052 12,006 11,504 12,345 11,810 15,897 
			 Warwickshire 1,077 1,372 1,585 1,773 1,811 2,207 1,945 2,279 3,056 3,207 
			 West Mercia 2,654 2,896 3,088 3,837 4,495 4,857 4,503 4,491 4,107 5,237 
			 West Midlands 8,657 10,283 9,838 11,366  18,785 16,637 18,009 23,496 20,081 
			 West Yorkshire 6,461 5,365 6,746 7,322 11,839 13,510 10,997 13,549 13,323 13,244 
			 Wiltshire 1,408 1,535 2,028 1,850 1,770 1,940 1,440 2,430 1,903 2,385 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Average overtime spend per officer, 1997 - 98  to  2006 - 07 
			  Force  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-0 7 
			 Avon and Somerset 949 1,043 1,352 1,173 1,727 2,261 2,191 2,020 1,581 1,712 
			 Bedfordshire 1,466 1,977 2,278 2,635 3,853 3,841 4,257 3,974 3,441 3,671 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,542 1,611 1,788 2,361 3,165 3,800 3,062  3,959 3,480 
			 Cheshire 1,440 1,408 1,645 1,579 1,598 2,307 2,011 1,506 1,807 2,426 
			 City of London 1,809 1,680 2,486 2,823 3,378 3,406 2,642 2,562 2,232 1,261 
			 Cleveland 1,159 1,339 1,917 1,493 2,129 2,762 2,199 1,297 2,409 2,883 
			 Cumbria 1,098 1,183 1,656 1,596 1,999  2,030 1,801 1,881 1,660 
			 Derbyshire 1,177 1,291 1,997 1,530 1,798 2,170 1,768 1,937 1,846 1,847 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,269 1,347 1,612 1,700 2,610 2,110 1,710 1,836 1,949 1,880 
			 Dorset 1,251 1,236 1,417 1,513 1,649 2,085 1,970 2,499 2,130 2,298 
			 Durham 1,401 1,683 1,808 1,629 1,933 1,952 1,737 1,973 1,838 1,896 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,431 1,501 1,542 1,629 1,912 2,171 1,561 1,669 1,842 2,305 
			 Essex 1,683 2,089 2,492 3,104 2,910 3,598 2,903 3,371 3,350 3,338 
			 Gloucestershire 1,435 1,654 2,188 1,983 1,992 2,753 2,795 2,154 2,535 2,214 
			 Greater Manchester 1,142 1,281 2,056 1,842 2,313 2,693 2,006 2,007 2,018 2,848 
			 Gwent 1,438 1,585 2,353 2,369 2,370 2,389 3,040 2,512 2,867 2,722 
			 Hampshire 1,743 2,111 2,396 2,079 2,491 3,334 2,645 3,189 3,018 3,237 
			 Hertfordshire 1,653 1,613 2,228 3,994  4,951 3,829 3,286 3,125 3,171 
			 Humberside 1,490 1,635 2,157 2,322 3,005 2,813 2,553 2,664 2,687 3,355 
			 Kent 1,529 1,633 2,092 2,166 2,236 3,070 2,731 2,762 3,180 3,332 
			 Lancashire 1,234 1,490 1,036 1,501 2,081 2,904 2,323 1,988 2,035 2,051 
			 Leicestershire 1,352 1,405 1,566 1,478 1,626 2,097 1,950 1,907 2,067 1,992 
			 Lincolnshire 1,489 1,429 2,089 2,641 2,111 2,670 1,796 2,326 1,921 1,825 
			 Merseyside 1,506 1,995 2,186 2,166 2,562 2,702 2,845 3,051 2,804 2,627 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,155 2,369 3,211 3,725 3,876 4,280 4,746 4,564 4,893 4,483 
			 Norfolk 2,277 1,977 2,674 2,786 2,632 2,646 2,437 2,616 2,358 2,167 
			 North Wales 1,313 1,288 1,717 1,849 1,898 2,288 2,524 2,123 2,481 1,711 
			 North Yorkshire 1,578 1,729 2,280 2,913 2,746 2,494 2,215 2,413 3,169 2,660 
			 Northamptonshire 1,585 1,866 1,897 1,967  2,214 1,083 2,414 1,773 633 
			 Northumbria 1,370 1,328 1,034 1,167 1,238 1,582 1,636 1,830 1,911 2,042 
			 Nottinghamshire 953 1,145 1,603 1,456 1,946 1,985  2,730 2,353 2,055 
			 South Wales 873 939 1,290 1,429 1,288 1,545 1,645 1,919 1,525 1,984 
			 South Yorkshire 1,792 1,795 1,963 1,772  2,531 2,388 2,733 2,900 2,951 
			 Staffordshire 1,393 1,460  2,150 2,390 3,554 2,834 2,636 2,655 2,293 
			 Suffolk 1,105 1,198 1,149 1,537 1,567 1,509 1,621 1,665 1,554 2,667 
			 Surrey  1,528 2,406 2,817 2,746 3,300 2,978 3,256 3,301 3,306 
			 Sussex 1,292 1,253  5,108 2,858 2,108 2,667 2,924 2,698 2,352 
			 Thames Valley 2,005 1,833 2,058 2,241 3,255 3,191 3,001 3,060 2,871 3,759 
			 Warwickshire 1,163 1,485 1,746 1,971 1,956 2,278 1,951 2,261 3,023 3,108 
			 West Mercia 1,301 1,441 1,525 2,034 2,304 2,407 1,996 1,907 1,735 2,228 
			 West Midlands 1,217 1,437 1,344 1,580  2,466 2,146 2,283 2,917 2,480 
			 West Yorkshire 1,240 1,041 1,354 1,518 2,459 2,763 2,187 2,569 2,366 2,347 
			 Wiltshire 1,220 1,327 1,762 1,655 1,580 1,677 1,244 1,997 1,557 1,957 
			  Source: CIPFA Police Statistics: Actuals 1997/98-2006/07, Home Office Police Officer Numbers

Police: Public Participation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to include the views of the public when deciding national policing priorities.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 July 2008
	Since April there has been a neighbourhood policing team in every areameeting the Government's commitment. Neighbourhood policing gives local communities a role in deciding policing priorities by working with them to identify and tackle local problems together, as well as providing a highly visible presence.
	Both Sir Ronnie Flanagan's review of policing and the Casey review 'Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime' contain recommendations about how best to embed neighbourhood policing and ensure communities have a say in how they are policed. In the forthcoming policing Green Paper the new police pledge will take forward many of the recommendations and will set out new national standards for the police service to ensure the public receive visible, accountable and responsive policing.

Police: Road Traffic Control

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of police resources is allocated to traffic policing in England and Wales, broken down by police force area; how many dedicated traffic police officers there were in each year since 1997, broken down by police force area; what recent discussions she has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers on the number of dedicated traffic police officers; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office police funding formula is designed to assess the relative need for resources between police authorities in England and Wales. The formula does not assign specific funding for any particular aspect of policing. Allocation of resources to specific areas of work within a force is a matter for the police authority and chief officer.
	Available information on the number of police whose main function is traffic is in the following tables.
	The Government have set implementation of the national roads policing strategy as a key action for the police in the national community safety plan. How they set about implementing the strategy is an operational matter for the police.
	The Government believe, however, that it is not helpful to focus solely on numbers of dedicated traffic police: it is the most effective and efficient use of all resources that is most significant.
	
		
			  Police Officers (FTE)( 1)  whose primary function is Traffic( 2)  from 2002 - 03 to 2006 - 07 
			 2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 216 222 228 215 148 
			 Bedfordshire 75 80 80 81 68 
			 Cambridgeshire 85 99 101 99 96 
			 Cheshire 194 200 194 85 91 
			 Cleveland 64 73  61 72 
			 Cumbria 107 110 108 111 114 
			 Derbyshire 107 121 116 119 110 
			 Devon and Cornwall 192 198 211 215 225 
			 Dorset 91 86 82 81 80 
			 Durham 111 119 108 105 100 
			 Essex 241 242 243 243 231 
			 Gloucestershire 62 66 67 73 67 
			 Greater Manchester 406 392 359 342 352 
			 Hampshire 248 246 244 240 237 
			 Hertfordshire 150 151 149 149 145 
			 Humberside 123 119 225 181 100 
			 Kent 104  122 116 109 
			 Lancashire 198 187 190 197 184 
			 Leicestershire 92 95 85 77 72 
			 Lincolnshire 90 89 96 102 100 
			 London, City of 24 24 28 24 23 
			 Merseyside 125 119 115 138 150 
			 Metropolitan Police 583 592 1029 603 611 
			 Norfolk 120 121 107 112 110 
			 Northamptonshire 70 71 65 63 63 
			 Northumbria 245 253 165 167 172 
			 North Yorkshire 151 138 101 97 99 
			 Nottinghamshire  121 133 134 139 
			 South Yorkshire 180 127 134 141 143 
			 Staffordshire 50 49 58 28 35 
			 Suffolk 68 72 76 80 77 
			 Surrey 108 110 107 99 87 
			 Sussex 164 163 163 160 169 
			 Thames Valley 259 259 245 236 237 
			 Warwickshire 103 103 93 97 93 
			 West Mercia 292 115 117 116 129 
			 West Midlands 384 405 393 401 383 
			 West Yorkshire 320 314 317 343 324 
			 Wiltshire 91 96 93  89 
			 Dyfed Powys 136 105 141 143 136 
			 Gwent 93 95 96 102 95 
			 North Wales 115 114 76 81 98 
			 South Wales 243 245 243 243 252 
		
	
	
		
			  Proportion of Police Officers (FTE)( 1)  whose primary function is Traffic( 2 ) from 2002 - 03 to 2006 - 07 
			  Percentage 
			 2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 6.8 6.5 6.7 6.3 4.4 
			 Bedfordshire 6.8 6.8 6.6 6.7 5.7 
			 Cambridgeshire 6.1 7.1 7.2 6.9 6.9 
			 Cheshire 9.2 9.2 8.9 3.9 4.2 
			 Cleveland 4.0 4.3  3.6 4.2 
			 Cumbria 9.4 9.0 8.8 9.0 9.1 
			 Derbyshire 5.3 5.8 5.6 5.8 5.4 
			 Devon and Cornwall 6.0 6.0 6.3 6.1 6.5 
			 Dorset 6.4 6.0 5.7 5.5 5.4 
			 Durham 6.7 7.1 6.3 6.2 5.9 
			 Essex 8.1 7.8 7.6 7.4 7.0 
			 Gloucestershire 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.7 5.2 
			 Greater Manchester 5.5 4.9 4.5 4.3 4.5 
			 Hampshire 6.8 6.6 6.6 6.5 6.2 
			 Hertfordshire 7.7 7.2 7.1 7.0 6.7 
			 Humberside 5.8 5.4 10.1 8.1 4.5 
			 Kent 3.0  3.4 3.2 3.0 
			 Lancashire 5.9 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.1 
			 Leicestershire 4.3 4.2 3.7 3.4 3.2 
			 Lincolnshire 7.4 7.2 7.8 8.4 8.2 
			 London, City of 3.0 2.8 3.2 2.8 2.7 
			 Merseyside 3.0 2.9 2.7 3.2 3.4 
			 Metropolitan Police 2.1 2.0 3.4 2.0 2.0 
			 Norfolk 8.0 8.0 6.9 7.2 7.0 
			 Northamptonshire 5.8 5.7 5.2 4.8 4.9 
			 Northumbria 6.2 6.3 4.1 4.2 4.4 
			 North Yorkshire 10.5 9.0 6.5 5.9 6.0 
			 Nottinghamshire  4.9 5.3 5.4 5.8 
			 South Yorkshire 5.7 3.9 4.1 4.3 4.4 
			 Staffordshire 2.3 2.2 2.5 1.2 1.5 
			 Suffolk 5.4 5.5 5.8 6.2 5.7 
			 Surrey 5.6 5.8 5.6 5.2 4.5 
			 Sussex 5.5 5.4 5.4 5.2 5.5 
			 Thames Valley 6.8 6.4 6.0 5.6 5.7 
			 Warwickshire 10.3 10.2 9.2 9.4 8.8 
			 West Mercia 13.0 4.9 4.9 4.9 5.4 
			 West Midlands 5.0 5.1 4.9 4.9 4.7 
			 West Yorkshire 6.4 6.0 5.6 6.1 5.7 
			 Wiltshire 7.8 7.9 7.6  7.4 
			 Dyfed Powys 11.8 9.1 12.0 12.1 11.6 
			 Gwent 6.9 6.9 6.7 7.0 6.3 
			 North Wales 7.5 7.1 4.6 5.0 6.1 
			 South Wales 7.5 7.5 7.4 7.4 7.6 
			 (1) This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Staff with multiple responsibilities(or designations) are recorded under their 'primary' role or function. The traffic function includes staff who are predominantly employed on motorcycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway related duties. The does not include officers employed in accident investigation, vehicle examination and radar duties.

Police: Sign Language

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces have procedures in place to provide British sign language interpreters and lipspeakers on a 24-hour basis for deaf people requiring assistance at police stations; and what steps her Department has taken to facilitate police force compliance with the requirements of the national agreement on arrangements for the use of interpreters, translators and language service professionals in investigations and proceedings within the criminal justice system, as revised in 2007.

Tony McNulty: This information is not currently held centrally.
	All chief officers of police have been issued with guidance on the use of the national agreement.
	ACPO is aiming shortly to write further reminding forces of interpreting requirements for those requiring lip speakers and British Sign Language services. This is being done in partnership with the Office of Criminal Justice Reform, who are preparing an additional leaflet of guidance in respect of deaf people in the criminal justice system.

Police: Standards

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the salary and wage costs were of  (a) Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary,  (b) the National Police Improvement Agency,  (c) the Police Standards Unit and  (d) the Independent Police Complaints Commission in each year since their inception; and how many staff worked in each organisation in each year.

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) 
			   Total staff  Total pay costs ( million) 
			 2007-08 145 8.8 
			 2006-07 137 8.9 
			 2005-06 129 7.1 
			 2004-05 128 7.0 
			 2003-04 128 6.1 
			 2002-03  5.8 
			 2001-02  5.6 
			 2000-01  4.5 
			 1999-2000  3.7 
			 1998-99  3.7 
			 1997-98  3.9 
			  Notes: 1. The first HMIs appointed under the provisions of the County and Borough Police Act 1856, however, numbers prior to 1997-98 are not readily available. 2. HMIC have been unable to provide complete staff numbers within the timeframe as a change in IT systems has meant data are not readily available prior to 2003-04. 3. Total staff numbers include HO and seconded staff. 4. Pay costs rose significantly with effect from 2006-07 as a result of changes to the funding of police officer pensions. 
		
	
	
		
			  National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) 
			   Total staff  Total pay costs ( million) 
			 2007-08 1,898 84 
			  Notes: 1. The NPIA was established by the Police and Justice Act 2006 and began its work in April 2007. 2. Staffing numbers include permanent NPIA staff, police, civilian and other secondees, along with contractors, agency and consultants. 
		
	
	
		
			  Police Standards Unit (PSU) 
			   Total staff  Total pay costs ( million) 
			 2007-08 (1) (1) 
			 2006-07 22 2.5 
			 2005-06 58 3.1 
			 2004-05 59 3.6 
			 2003-04 66 2.8 
			 2002-03 (2) (2) 
			 2001-02 29 0.645 
			 (1) In July 2007 the Police Standards Unit merged with the Partnership Performance Support Unit to form the Police and Partnership Standards Unit (PPSU). The rationale for the merger is explained in the PCSD Director's Report 2006-07. The complement for the PPSU in 2007-08 was 33 and the total pay costs were approximately 2.3 million. (2) Unavailable.  Note: The budget and staffing data for PSU is managed at directorate level along with a number of other Home Office units. The figure for 2006-07 only is disaggregated, all the rest include the other units. 
		
	
	 2001- 02
	In response to a Parliamentary question on 17 June 2002 we stated that the costs from 1 July 2001 to 17 June 2002 were 709,000. So an estimate for the financial year 2001-02 would be 645,000.
	 2002-03
	We have been unable to locate data for 2002-03 within the timeframe available as data are stored on an old financial system.
	 2003-04 to 2005-06
	These figures include the police performance and framework team including iQuanta, and the policy team, which from 2006-07 were counted as separate units.
	
		
			  Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) 
			   Total staff  Total pay costs ( million) 
			 2007-08 398 19.1 
			 2006-07 415 20 
			 2005-06 352 16.1 
			 2004-05 208 12.5 
			  Notes: 1. The IPCC became operational on 1 April 2004. 2. The figures in the table are taken from the 2007-08 annual accounts to be laid before Parliament. 3. The figures for pay cost include pension and social security costs. 4. Staff costs and figures include agency staff, seconded staff and commissioners; staff numbers are average.

Police: Stun Guns

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to extend the use of tasers nationwide.

Tony McNulty: Following a trial in five forces in 2003, chief officers of all forces in England and Wales have been able to make the tasers have available to authorised firearms officers (AFO) as a less lethal alternative for use in situations where a firearms authority has been granted in accordance with criteria laid down in the ACPO manual of guidance on police use of firearms.
	Following a request by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), tasers have been deployed since July 2007 by AFO's beyond situations in which a firearms authority has been granted. In these cases, officers would be facing violence or threats of violence of such severity that they would need to use force to protect the public, themselves and/or the subject(s).
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary also agreed to a 12-month trial, from 1 September 2007, in 10 selected forces of use of tasers in similar circumstances by specially trained units who are not authorised firearms officers. The Home Office and ACPO will be conducting thorough assessments of the trial and seeking independent medical advice before any further decision on the extension of Taser is taken.

Schengen Agreement

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what UK participation there will be in the Schengen information system II programme.

Meg Hillier: The Government are fully committed to the UK's participation in the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II). In order to preserve our border controls, the UK does not participate in Schengen visa and immigration measures. This means that the UK will not have access to information on SIS II relating to third country nationals refused entry to the Schengen area. However, the UK will participate in all other SIS II measures. The information available via SIS II will allow UK law enforcement officers to locate missing persons, criminals and stolen property from across the EU, increasing our opportunities to deal with cross-border crime.

Surveillance: Local Authorities

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 477-78W, on surveillance: local authorities, how many cases the Investigatory Powers Tribunal has investigated  (a) in total and  (b) in relation to complaints against the use of surveillance by local authorities since its establishment.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 10 July 2008
	The Investigatory Powers Tribunal has issued determinations in respect of 554 complaints from 2 October 2000 to 31 December 2006, the most recent period for which published reports are available. Figures for 2007 are due to be published shortly. It is not the tribunal's practice to publish more detailed breakdowns by type or body of complaint, in order to preserve the confidence of people using it that their complaint will be handled confidentially. The Investigatory Powers Tribunal is independent of Government and subject to statutory rules which prevent it from disclosing information to an extent, or in a manner, that is contrary to the public interest.

Telecommunications: Data Protection

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conditions govern the access by local authorities to telecommunications data stored under the provisions of the Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2007.

Tony McNulty: The EU Data Retention (EC Directive) Regulations 2007 place an obligation on communications service providers to retain data which they acquire for lawful business purposes.
	Local authorities can have access to communications data (service use and subscriber data) for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime or preventing disorder through the provision in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the related statutory instruments and code of practice.

Terrorism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with police forces on the setting up of the Channel Project to combat violent extremism;
	(2)  which  (a) organisations and  (b) individuals she consulted on the setting up of the Channel Project to combat violent extremism.

Tony McNulty: A range of stakeholders were involved in establishing the Channel Project. At national level these included the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Department for Communities and Local Government. At local level the police, local authorities, other service providers and community organisations were consulted.

Terrorism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role her Department's Research, Information and Communication Unit has played in the development of the Channel Project for combating violent extremism.

Tony McNulty: The Research, Information and Communications Unit has not played a role in the development of the Channel Project

Terrorism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria she will use to determine the effectiveness of the Channel Project to combat violent extremism; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Channel project will be evaluated to assess the lessons learned in setting up a partnership and the effectiveness of the referral process and interventions deployed.

Terrorism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Channel Project to combat violent extremism has spent on community groups; and how much it plans to spend in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Tony McNulty: There has been no money allocated to the Channel Project to spend on community groups.

Terrorism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local community groups the Channel Project to combat violent extremism  (a) funded in 2007-08 and  (b) plans to fund in 2008-09; and how those groups were selected for funding.

Tony McNulty: There has been no money allocated to the Channel Project to spend on community groups.

Terrorism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of the Channel Project to combat violent extremism was in 2007-08; what the cost is expected to be in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; and how those funds will be spent in each of those years.

Tony McNulty: The cost of the Channel Project in 2007-08 was approximately 600,000. The Home Office has allocated 1 million for the project in 2008-09.
	Funding for the pilot areas covers the cost of a full time co-ordinator for the project in each of the sites. Funding for future years will depend upon the scale of implementation.

Terrorism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of  (a) the police,  (b) her Department's staff and  (c) the public are employed by the Channel Project to combat violent extremism in each of the areas in which it operates; and how many people in each category will be employed by the project in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11.

Tony McNulty: In each area in which the Channel Project operates one person is employed by the police force to co-ordinate activity. In 2008-09 there are 10 areas operating the Channel Project which will extend to 20 areas by 2009. Precise roll out plans for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are under development.

Terrorism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which statutory agencies are taking part in the Channel Project to combat violent extremism; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: As with other crime prevention programmes the police work with the full range of statutory partners at local level.

Terrorism

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which areas of the country the Channel Project to combat violent extremism  (a) operates and  (b) is planned to operate; and how those areas were decided upon.

Tony McNulty: In addition to two pilot areas, in London and Lancashire, that have been operating Channel since 2007, a further eight sites, in west Yorkshire, the midlands, London and Bedfordshire, will be operational in 2008. These sites have been identified through an assessment of local factors, such as strength of partnership working, and the presence of other funding like the Preventing Violent Extremism funding distributed by the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Terrorism: Departmental Coordination

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the development of the Channel Project to combat violent extremism.

Tony McNulty: My right. hon. Friends the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government meet frequently to discuss progress on Preventing Violent Extremism. Officials in both departments regularly discuss and review progress on the Channel Project.

UK Border Agency: Property

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what property was (a) lost at and  (b) stolen from the UK Border Agency and its predecessors in each year since 1997; and what the cost of replacement was.

Liam Byrne: Property lost or stolen from the UKBA and its predecessors for the period 2007-08 to 2003-04 is set out in the following table.
	Information prior to 2003-04 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The agency has guidelines which should be followed in the event of a theft or loss. All reported thefts or losses are investigated and appropriate action is taken in the light of these investigations.
	
		
			  Known values of property lost or stolen 
			  Financial year  Lost items  Stolen items 
			 2007-08 3,842 3,126 
			 2006-07 4,996 2,830 
			 2005-06 3,281 3,265 
			 2004-05 3,226 n/k 
			 2003-04 4,950 n/k

Vetting

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of record checks processed by the Criminal Records Bureau in each year since 2002 had comments from chief police officers on otherwise clean reports, broken down by police force area.

Meg Hillier: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 748W.

Vetting: Young People

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons under the age of 18 years have been the subject of Criminal Records Bureau checks in the latest period for which figures are available.

Meg Hillier: During the financial year 2007-08 the Criminal Records Bureau has issued 92,717 disclosures to applicants under the age of 18 years.

Work Permits: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many workers, issued with clearance by the Security Industry Authority, but without the right to work in the UK have been found to be working in Wales.

Liam Byrne: Fewer than three workers issued with clearance by the Security Industry Authority but without the right to work in the United Kingdom have been found working in Wales. The data provided is management information. It may be subject to change and does not represent published national statistics.
	Our plans for enforcing the immigration laws in the United Kingdom's communities were published on 19 June 2008 in our enforcement business plan. This outlines our programme for delivery and reform in our enforcement business over the next yearremoving those who have no right to be here or pose a threat to the UK, targeting the most harmful.

Yarl's Wood Detention Centre: Pregnant Women

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reports or complaints her Department has been informed of regarding pregnant women at Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre receiving inadequate treatment for their condition.

Liam Byrne: Statistics indicate that only one official complaint regarding a pregnant woman at Yarl's Wood has been received in 2008 and this related to the food provided at the centre. Data is not collected in respect of unofficial reports.

Young Offenders: Re-offenders

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the average number of days from arrest to sentence in cases involving persistent young offenders was in each police force area in the most recent period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many persistent young offenders were registered in each police force area in each year since 1997; how many offences were recorded in each area where the offender was a persistent young offender in each of those years; and what percentage of total offences this represented in each year, broken down by police force area.

David Hanson: I have been asked to reply.
	A persistent young offender (PYO) is a young person aged 10-17 who has been sentenced guilty by any criminal court in the UK on three or more separate occasions for one or more recordable offence, and within three years of the last sentencing occasion is subsequently arrested or has an information laid against them for a further recordable offence.
	This definition was designed to monitor the pledge to halve the average time from arrest to sentence for dealing with PYOs in England and Wales from 142 days in 1996 to 71 days. This pledge was first met over a full calendar year in 2002 and has been met in all but one calendar year since then. It is important to note that the definition was not designed to monitor overall levels of youth crime.
	Table 1 shows the number of PYOs, and the number of offences committed by them, for each police force area from 1997 to 2007.
	Young offenders are now being dealt with twice as quickly as they were prior to 1997, which means that there are much shorter intervals between sentencing occasions for those youths who repeatedly offend. Youth sentencing is therefore more timely, and for repeat offenders more frequent, than it used to be prior to 1997.
	Table 2 shows the total number of notifiable offences brought to justice, and the proportion of them that are attributable to PYOs, for each police force from 2000 to 2006 (the only years for which this data is available).
	The Ministry of Justice publishes monthly National Statistics on the average number of days from arrest to sentence for PYOs at the following web address:
	www.justice.gov.uk/publications/averagetimearresttosentencepyo.htm
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of Persistent Young Offenders (PYOs) and number of offences committed by PYOs, by police force area, 1997 to 2007 
			   Number of persistent young offenders 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 179 167 166 213 245 268 270 268 308 334 354 
			 Bedfordshire 59 68 76 113 78 74 90 116 98 108 109 
			 Cambridgeshire 111 101 136 164 147 149 163 135 185 183 200 
			 Cheshire 166 196 190 247 211 243 239 249 258 258 268 
			 Cleveland 322 293 301 281 252 272 214 212 197 223 280 
			 Cumbria 148 173 162 183 173 183 188 178 200 220 240 
			 Derbyshire 144 162 193 210 234 244 232 235 244 246 281 
			 Devon and Cornwall 127 154 145 191 222 257 279 324 290 296 356 
			 Dorset 53 55 78 82 94 100 127 132 138 155 144 
			 Durham 191 219 249 277 237 255 212 199 211 237 278 
			 Dyfed-Powys 91 102 91 98 107 109 116 106 114 139 116 
			 Essex 155 186 214 273 270 266 271 280 363 414 432 
			 Gloucestershire 113 80 75 84 111 93 85 95 108 134 155 
			 Greater Manchester 817 872 910 984 1,157 1,149 1,055 1,065 1,127 1,215 1,251 
			 Gwent 122 141 146 198 187 176 203 223 209 211 206 
			 Hampshire 234 358 516 553 566 605 599 616 610 609 688 
			 Hertfordshire 104 91 101 143 128 132 162 187 186 207 228 
			 Humberside 215 243 261 254 284 267 295 332 370 376 397 
			 Kent 198 268 271 341 370 354 399 375 376 388 362 
			 Lancashire 274 363 426 455 485 610 554 509 540 617 642 
			 Leicestershire 145 192 203 218 234 243 264 204 259 259 281 
			 Lincolnshire 119 138 114 137 123 122 143 142 111 110 122 
			 Merseyside 377 426 429 458 496 514 538 557 458 449 520 
			 Metropolitan 864 1,003 1,091 1,100 1,297 1,325 1,251 1,324 1,329 1,486 1,769 
			 Norfolk 97 124 150 163 154 157 163 155 130 155 160 
			 North Wales 108 112 121 182 185 212 237 239 214 225 204 
			 North Yorkshire 120 126 155 184 161 158 167 188 182 203 252 
			 Northamptonshire 102 100 142 158 148 163 129 121 125 115 153 
			 Northumbria 588 669 800 729 811 778 810 771 839 869 908 
			 Nottinghamshire 351 361 340 397 375 417 387 336 404 382 383 
			 South Wales 412 466 496 522 546 522 493 482 435 371 348 
			 South Yorkshire 333 331 349 414 381 412 417 432 409 381 385 
			 Staffordshire 192 217 204 268 258 222 261 274 287 300 292 
			 Suffolk 74 81 99 121 148 174 176 216 239 213 230 
			 Surrey 71 76 86 115 128 115 111 117 126 139 138 
			 Sussex 99 161 158 161 190 236 240 303 363 402 432 
			 Thames Valley 254 251 262 291 316 358 325 303 356 415 442 
			 Warwickshire 68 74 93 104 98 98 88 81 94 109 123 
			 West Mercia 173 158 209 259 237 251 246 267 286 346 323 
			 West Midlands 762 856 840 897 1,012 989 1,013 1,025 877 864 808 
			 West Yorkshire 542 647 732 678 766 731 775 844 868 864 904 
			 Wiltshire 71 85 88 107 108 107 123 126 127 120 131 
			 England and Wales 9,868 11,079 12,014 13,233 13,854 14,244 14,244 14,492 14,827 15,528 16,512 
		
	
	
		
			   Numb er of persistent young offender offences 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 250 233 251 314 449 496 483 456 564 612 691 
			 Bedfordshire 89 101 134 160 142 127 161 226 189 172 213 
			 Cambridgeshire 177 169 251 267 245 283 342 274 315 310 377 
			 Cheshire 264 334 295 378 389 449 439 495 530 483 486 
			 Cleveland 603 538 597 496 506 557 389 395 382 419 534 
			 Cumbria 238 283 293 305 300 318 337 322 352 415 407 
			 Derbyshire 232 233 290 322 411 403 392 414 416 433 477 
			 Devon and Cornwall 183 235 224 299 418 434 504 577 518 485 636 
			 Dorset 75 99 130 109 141 183 219 216 243 274 272 
			 Durham 302 359 457 545 464 506 418 328 382 457 534 
			 Dyfed-Powys 156 180 165 158 212 225 243 199 228 264 238 
			 Essex 230 288 350 455 479 470 451 515 654 736 854 
			 Gloucestershire 182 142 116 135 183 188 196 199 215 285 314 
			 Greater Manchester 1,431 1,536 1,704 1,875 2,290 2,165 1,868 1,889 2,101 2,251 2,336 
			 Gwent 170 243 260 341 336 325 371 421 396 409 416 
			 Hampshire 358 636 965 1,079 1,052 1,236 1,184 1,209 1,128 1,116 1,323 
			 Hertfordshire 153 160 174 199 209 246 276 340 362 356 388 
			 Humberside 287 385 382 412 494 419 502 626 647 653 709 
			 Kent 273 416 424 480 614 619 715 655 673 686 684 
			 Lancashire 451 588 724 830 843 1,089 1,038 944 1,078 1,216 1,279 
			 Leicestershire 236 303 328 374 421 459 452 315 466 439 546 
			 Lincolnshire 181 230 188 228 242 229 261 221 171 199 228 
			 Merseyside 695 726 773 820 966 999 1,016 1,046 835 797 955 
			 Metropolitan 1,504 1,801 1,995 2,001 2,291 2,236 2,081 2,208 2,133 2,549 3,128 
			 Norfolk 155 219 243 268 278 256 294 258 220 271 294 
			 North Wales 178 159 216 273 346 426 452 439 386 402 344 
			 North Yorkshire 178 211 280 282 280 282 305 332 333 380 461 
			 Northamptonshire 146 144 251 298 288 282 254 241 243 235 338 
			 Northumbria 1,002 1,234 1,501 1,539 1,612 1,498 1,622 1,522 1,619 1,730 1,858 
			 Nottinghamshire 507 497 505 669 689 687 672 583 703 709 678 
			 South Wales 757 932 1,010 1,082 1,111 1,100 1,021 905 869 719 643 
			 South Yorkshire 510 511 559 696 645 717 713 738 701 646 649 
			 Staffordshire 285 310 319 400 464 419 517 511 517 515 519 
			 Suffolk 116 116 191 213 285 363 391 447 491 423 435 
			 Surrey 131 138 146 175 235 219 195 239 249 258 252 
			 Sussex 157 259 239 242 335 414 465 617 762 828 855 
			 Thames Valley 366 388 433 455 559 659 562 502 636 721 775 
			 Warwickshire 133 118 174 145 193 172 147 142 177 225 245 
			 West Mercia 257 263 374 392 414 458 445 501 508 628 586 
			 West Midlands 1,306 1,501 1,546 1,663 1,839 1,759 1,810 1,745 1,456 1,401 1,378 
			 West Yorkshire 797 1,034 1,275 1,367 1,327 1,309 1,432 1,626 1,676 1,575 1,696 
			 Wiltshire 104 132 138 151 166 192 203 224 206 202 233 
			 England and Wales 16,010 18,605 21,151 23,131 25,393 26,116 26,086 26,363 27,037 28,252 30,683 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of notifiable offences brought to justice, and percentage that were attributable to Persistent Young Offenders, 2000-06 
			  Thousand 
			   Number of notifiable offences brought to justice 
			  Police force area  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 125.2 119.3 131.8 129.3 136.9 167.7 201.9 
			 Bedfordshire 10.2 10.0 10.1 10.8 11.8 12.6 12.9 
			 Cambridgeshire 30.0 29.9 31.4 31.1 34.5 39.2 49.1 
			 Cheshire 30.3 29.2 29.0 31.8 33.9 41.4 43.8 
			 Cleveland 60.1 57.3 56.0 57.5 67.5 72.8 82.5 
			 Cumbria 16.9 15.1 15.7 16.6 17.1 22.5 24.9 
			 Derbyshire 40.4 40.6 40.8 42.6 38.5 40.8 48.5 
			 Devon and Cornwall 12.7 13.0 13.7 12.8 12.1 13.4 15.5 
			 Dorset 12.5 12.1 12.1 13.2 14.9 15.6 15.1 
			 Durham 52.3 46.9 47.4 48.0 61.7 71.9 66.1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 26.0 24.7 24.5 27.4 29.3 36.3 41.3 
			 Essex 18.4 17.5 17.0 18.8 21.8 24.0 26.0 
			 Gloucestershire 14.6 14.7 15.2 14.9 14.8 16.5 20.6 
			 Greater Manchester 72.0 75.7 79.6 80.4 70.4 70.6 76.1 
			 Gwent 22.4 20.8 23.3 23.4 22.9 25.8 28.0 
			 Hampshire 20.5 21.7 22.1 22.2 24.1 27.6 29.5 
			 Hertfordshire 6.9 8.1 7.7 8.6 9.1 10.5 12.4 
			 Humberside 16.1 17.1 18.4 17.9 18.6 21.1 21.2 
			 Kent 26.4 25.0 23.2 24.6 24.8 27.4 30.0 
			 Lancashire 8.7 10.3 10.8 10.6 11.2 14.4 15.2 
			 Leicestershire 17.7 19.0 17.9 19.3 22.1 25.0 27.4 
			 Lincolnshire 14.0 13.2 12.5 12.9 13.4 12.1 15.0 
			 Merseyside 11.9 10.9 12.2 13.0 12.4 15.6 17.5 
			 Metropolitan 13.9 12.7 13.2 13.7 15.2 15.9 18.6 
			 Norfolk 11.7 11.5 12.0 13.3 15.0 15.3 17.3 
			 North Wales 10.3 11.4 11.6 11.0 11.9 13.3 13.6 
			 North Yorkshire 13.4 13.7 14.9 16.2 19.2 18.8 27.0 
			 Northamptonshire 20.0 21.1 22.0 23.4 25.4 33.2 37.7 
			 Northumbria 30.3 30.9 34.2 32.4 36.2 53.7 51.4 
			 Nottinghamshire 32.3 31.7 32.1 33.1 37.4 38.3 38.4 
			 South Wales 10.5 12.2 11.5 12.8 17.8 15.7 17.5 
			 South Yorkshire 26.6 25.2 24.5 28.3 29.2 33.9 36.6 
			 Staffordshire 20.0 21.9 22.6 23.6 27.2 32.2 34.0 
			 Suffolk 25.3 25.1 27.2 27.4 27.9 30.9 33.0 
			 Surrey 25.9 25.9 27.1 26.8 26.1 34.3 38.3 
			 Sussex 12.7 13.1 13.2 13.3 12.1 14.3 16.2 
			 Thames Valley 10.6 10.9 10.0 11.3 11.5 12.1 12.1 
			 Warwickshire 11.2 11.2 11.3 10.9 15.6 16.2 16.9 
			 West Mercia 13.1 12.6 13.2 13.5 14.8 15.8 18.3 
			 West Midlands 17.1 17.5 16.2 16.8 15.8 15.0 17.7 
			 West Yorkshire 30.4 29.5 30.5 31.6 31.3 30.2 29.6 
			 Wiltshire 11.0 11.3 11.8 12.5 10.9 13.0 13.7 
			 England and Wales 1012.7 1001.3 1031.2 1059.7 1124.6 1277.0 1408.5 
		
	
	
		
			   Percentage of notifiable offences brought to justice attributable to persistent young offenders 
			  Police force area  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 0.25 0.38 0.38 0.37 0.33 0.34 0.30 
			 Bedfordshire 1.57 1.42 1.26 1.49 1.92 1.50 1.34 
			 Cambridgeshire 0.89 0.82 0.90 1.10 0.79 0.80 0.63 
			 Cheshire 1.25 1.33 1.55 1.38 1.46 1.28 1.10 
			 Cleveland 0.83 0.88 0.99 0.68 0.59 0.52 0.51 
			 Cumbria 1.80 1.99 2.03 2.03 1.88 1.57 1.67 
			 Derbyshire 0.80 1.01 0.99 0.92 1.08 1.02 0.89 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2.35 3.21 3.17 3.94 4.77 3.85 3.13 
			 Dorset 0.87 1.17 1.51 1.66 1.45 1.56 1.81 
			 Durham 1.04 0.99 1.07 0.87 0.53 0.53 0.69 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0.61 0.86 0.92 0.89 0.68 0.63 0.64 
			 Essex 2.47 2.73 2.77 2.40 2.36 2.72 2.83 
			 Gloucestershire 0.92 1.25 1.24 1.31 1.34 1.30 1.38 
			 Greater Manchester 2.61 3.02 2.72 2.32 2.68 2.98 2.96 
			 Gwent 1.52 1.61 1.40 1.59 1.84 1.53 1.46 
			 Hampshire 5.25 4.84 5.60 5.34 5.01 4.09 3.79 
			 Hertfordshire 2.88 2.57 3.19 3.20 3.72 3.45 2.88 
			 Humberside 2.56 2.89 2.28 2.81 3.37 3.06 3.07 
			 Kent 1.82 2.46 2.67 2.90 2.65 2.45 2.28 
			 Lancashire 9.59 8.19 10.06 9.76 8.43 7.50 7.99 
			 Leicestershire 2.11 2.21 2.56 2.35 1.43 1.86 1.61 
			 Lincolnshire 1.63 1.83 1.83 2.03 1.65 1.41 1.33 
			 Merseyside 6.88 8.88 8.18 7.84 8.41 5.34 4.54 
			 Metropolitan 14.44 18.04 17.00 15.19 14.56 13.42 13.70 
			 Norfolk 2.29 2.41 2.14 2.21 1.72 1.44 1.57 
			 North Wales 2.64 3.03 3.67 4.11 3.68 2.91 2.95 
			 North Yorkshire 2.11 2.04 1.89 1.88 1.73 1.77 1.41 
			 Northamptonshire 1.49 1.36 1.28 1.08 0.95 0.73 0.62 
			 Northumbria 5.07 5.22 4.38 5.00 4.20 3.01 3.37 
			 Nottinghamshire 2.07 2.17 2.14 2.03 1.56 1.84 1.85 
			 South Wales 10.33 9.11 9.60 7.96 5.10 5.52 4.11 
			 South Yorkshire 2.62 2.56 2.93 2.52 2.52 2.07 1.76 
			 Staffordshire 2.00 2.12 1.86 2.19 1.88 1.61 1.52 
			 Suffolk 0.84 1.14 1.34 1.43 1.60 1.59 1.28 
			 Surrey 0.68 0.91 0.81 0.73 0.91 0.73 0.67 
			 Sussex 1.90 2.56 3.14 3.49 5.10 5.34 5.11 
			 Thames Valley 4.29 5.15 6.57 4.97 4.37 5.26 5.96 
			 Warwickshire 1.29 1.73 1.53 1.35 0.91 1.09 1.33 
			 West Mercia 2.98 3.29 3.47 3.29 3.39 3.22 3.42 
			 West Midlands 9.74 10.49 10.85 10.77 11.01 9.71 7.89 
			 West Yorkshire 4.50 4.49 4.30 4.54 5.19 5.56 5.33 
			 Wiltshire 1.38 1.47 1.63 1.62 2.06 1.58 1.47 
			 
			 England and Wales 2.28 2.54 2.53 2.46 2.34 2.12 2.01

TREASURY

Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were  (a) the number of disposals,  (b) the disposal values,  (c) the chargeable gains net of in-year losses before the deduction of taper relief and  (d) the chargeable gains net of both in-year losses and the deduction of taper relief were for assets held up to (i) six months, (ii) one year, (iii) two years, (iv) three years, (v) four years, (vi) five years, (vii) 10 years and (viii) over 10 years for (A) business assets and (B) non-business assets in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: The following table provides a breakdown of disposals and chargeable gains. This does not include information for assets that changed type or where disposals resulted in a capital loss. Figures for earlier years are available only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Numbers (thousand), amounts ( million) 
			   Business assets  Non business assets 
			  Range of holding period  Disposal numbers  Disposal value  Chargeable gains( 1)  Tapered gains( 2)  Disposal numbers  Disposal value  Chargeable gains( 1)  Tapered gains( 2) 
			  2002-03 
			 Up to 6 months 2 73 37 23 28 978 140 92 
			 6 months 1 year 1 63 48 40 14 721 119 106 
			 1 to 2 years 5 532 413 179 18 1,032 229 202 
			 2 to 3 years 4 1,075 813 202 18 988 325 287 
			 3 to 4 years 4 795 592 147 15 846 281 235 
			 4 to 5 years 11 2,928 2,343 582 36 1,061 397 306 
			 5 to 10 years 10 2,807 2,155 534 60 2,757 965 755 
			 Over 10 years 16 6,765 5,504 1,380 61 3,327 1,645 1,188 
			 Unknown (3) 171 169 42 18 689 212 173 
			 All 53 15,208 12,075 3,129 268 12,400 4,314 3,346 
			  
			  2003-04 
			 Up to 6 months 2 157 73 43 62 1,885 211 150 
			 6 months 1 year 2 69 35 22 38 6,846 186 153 
			 1 to 2 years 4 395 236 104 36 1,585 290 236 
			 2 to 3 years 8 1,270 1,048 259 20 905 295 269 
			 3 to 4 years 5 1,012 841 207 18 737 293 251 
			 4 to 5 years 5 879 645 160 13 626 258 210 
			 5 to 10 years 20 3,218 2,678 678 65 3,371 1,518 1,136 
			 Over 10 years 14 5,894 4,927 1,214 88 4,324 1,954 1,439 
			 Unknown 2 423 355 92 40 1,401 428 327 
			 All 62 13,317 10,837 2,780 379 21.680 5,432 4,172 
			  
			  2004-05 
			 Up to 6 months 3 216 87 52 54 2,220 268 188 
			 6 months 1 year 5 134 50 33 43 1,233 236 198 
			 1 to 2 years 12 446 278 135 59 2,313 490 396 
			 2 to 3 years 14 1,459 1,198 300 35 1,533 399 339 
			 3 to 4 years 13 1,715 1,373 338 23 918 350 282 
			 4 to 5 years 10 1,101 860 215 16 771 289 229 
			 5 to 10 years 24 6,222 4,750 1,185 96 4,157 1,924 1,383 
			 Over 10 years 17 7,467 5,441 1,343 73 3,655 2,262 1,567 
			 Unknown 4 704 645 163 50 2,622 645 525 
			 All 102 19,464 14,683 3,764 449 19,422 6,863 5,105 
			 (1) Net of in-year losses but before deducting taper relief. (2) Tapered gains are after the deduction of all losses and taper relief. (3 )Neg.

Bank of Credit and Commerce International

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which parts of the Sandstorm report have been released by his Department to the US authorities.

Angela Eagle: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Capital Gains Tax

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) the number of gains,  (b) the amount of gains and  (c) the amount of tax paid were on capital gains between (i) 1 and 9,999, (ii) 10,000 and 24,999, (iii) 25,000 and 99,999, (iv) 100,000 and 249,999, (v) 250,000 and 499,999, (vi) 500,000 and 999,999 and (vii) 1,000,000 and above for (A) business assets and (B) non-business assets in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: The following table provides a breakdown of disposals and chargeable gains. It is not possible to attribute amounts of tax to separate disposals. Figures for earlier years are available only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Numbers (thousand), amounts ( million) 
			   Business assets  Non business assets 
			  Range of chargeable gain  Disposal numbers  Disposal value  Chargeable gains( 1)  Disposal numbers  Disposal value  Chargeable gains( 1) 
			  2002-03   
			 0 to 10,000 11 112 26 170 3,087 408 
			 10,000 to 25,000 4 188 70 58 2,989 922 
			 25,000 to 100,000 21 2,106 1,095 35 3,851 1,571 
			 100,000 to 250,000 9 2,160 1,369 3 979 490 
			 250,000 to 500,000 4 1,831 1,395 1 512 300 
			 500,000 to 1 million 2 1,655 1,399 (2) 521 306 
			 1 million and greater 2 7,156 6,720 (2) 460 317 
			 Total 53 15,208 12,075 268 12,400 4,314 
			
			  2003-04   
			 0 to 10,000 12 155 41 268 9,951 551 
			 10,000 to 25,000 6 225 105 59 3,276 946 
			 25,000 to 100,000 28 2,453 1,504 45 5,006 2,002 
			 100,000 to 250,000 9 1,854 1,362 5 1,488 796 
			 250,000 to 500,000 3 1,394 1,200 1 986 443 
			 500,000 to 1 million 2 1,514 1,252 (2) 361 261 
			 1 million and greater 2 5,724 5,373 (2) 614 434 
			 Total 62 13,317 10,837 379 21,680 5,432 
			
			  2004-05   
			 0 to 10,000 40 222 57 317 4,185 616 
			 10,000 to 25,000 9 325 152 70 4,133 1,144 
			 25,000 to 100,000 32 4,369 1,748 53 6,406 2,421 
			 100,000 to 250,000 12 2,615 1,807 7 2,075 949 
			 250,000 to 500,000 4 1,694 1,364 2 844 532 
			 500,000 to 1 million 2 1,969 1,728 1 659 455 
			 1 million and greater 2 8,270 7,828 (2) 1,121 746 
			 Total 102 19,464 14,683 449 19,422 6,863 
			 (1) Net of in-year losses but before deduction of taper relief and Annual Exempt Amount. (2) Neg.

Child Tax Credit

Linda Riordan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effect of child tax credit on the economy.

Jane Kennedy: Tax credits provide support to 20 million people including six million families and 10 million children. They have helped increase the number of people in work by almost three million since spring 1997, and since 1997 unemployment has reduced by 400,000. They have also helped lift 600,000 children out of relative poverty since 1996-97.

Civil Service: Pay

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to undertake a comprehensive review of civil service pay arrangements.

Yvette Cooper: The Government's policy on civil service pay is reviewed annually, and is set out in the civil service pay guidance.

Common Agricultural Policy

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will hold discussions with the National Farmers' Union on his policy for the EU to remove import tariffs on food and abolish the Common Agricultural Policy.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 11 June 2008
	As the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in his letter to the EU Commission,
	It is unacceptable, that at a time of significant food price inflation, the EU continues to apply very high import tariffs to many agricultural commodities. The Commission should give urgent consideration to extending the suspension of import tariffs that apply to other agricultural commodities
	Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 206W, on council tax, how many notification changes have been made to the council tax list with a code of CL26 in  (a) each year from 2003 to 2005 and  (b) 2006-07.

Jane Kennedy: The number of properties, in England, reviewed and cleared with notification change code CL26 is shown as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003-04 36,652 
			 2004-05 29,928 
			 2005-06 31,147 
			 2006-07 39,017

Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 206W, on council tax, what proportion of the changes were made following  (a) discovery of an error by the agency and  (b) representations from householders.

Jane Kennedy: Approximately 57 per cent. of the alterations were made following banding alterations to nearby dwellings and approximately 43 per cent. were made following representations being made by householders.

Council Tax: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1622W, on council tax: valuation, if he will place in the Library a copy of the business case prepared for the council tax banding support tool.

Jane Kennedy: A copy of the business case cannot be placed in the Library as it contains commercially confidential information in connection with third party contractors and is subject to the development of ongoing operational policy.

Council Tax: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1349W, on Council Tax: Valuation, whether the automated valuation model is used by the Valuation Office Agency in England to value properties, in addition to the council tax banding support tool.

Jane Kennedy: In addition to the use of the banding support tool to support current council tax list maintenance, the Valuation Office Agency is using automated valuation technology to provide value estimates to assist with other valuation activities.

Departmental Accountancy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Combined Online Information System standard chart of accounts.

Yvette Cooper: A copy of the Combined Online Information System (COINS) Standard Chart of Account, showing each current code and associated description, has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Accountancy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's Combined Online Information System programme objectives and descriptions.

Yvette Cooper: A copy of the Department's Combined Online Information System (COINS) programme objects, including descriptions, has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Appeals

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions his Department has instructed the Treasury Solicitor to seek leave to appeal to the House of Lords from  (a) the Court of Appeal and  (b) the House of Lords itself in each of the last 10 years; and on how many occasions the application was rejected.

Angela Eagle: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury have not been listed as the appellant in any House of Lords case over the last 10 years.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations have received  (a) free and  (b) discounted room hire from (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the commercial value of the discount was in each case.

Angela Eagle: It is not the Department's policy to provide free or discounted room hire for events held in its buildings that are not related to its business.

Departmental Conferences

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) scheduled date and  (b) title was of each conference proposed to be hosted by his Department and its agencies that was cancelled before taking place in each of the last 10 years; and what costs were incurred in respect of each.

Angela Eagle: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Information Officers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average cost to his Department was of employing a press and media officer in 2007-08.

Angela Eagle: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department and its agencies spent on branding and marketing activity in 2007-08.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is not readily available and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Postal Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department has taken to monitor the cost of its mail services in the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: The cost of mail services is monitored on a regular basis in the same way as other departmental expenditure.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) listening exercises and  (b) public forums his Department has held in each of the last two years; what the (i) purpose and (ii) cost was in each case; and who the private contractor was and how much it was paid in each case.

Angela Eagle: Information on the independent reviews commissioned by the Treasury is published on the Treasury's website at
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Independent_Reviews/independent_reviews_index.cfm

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) reviews and  (b) public consultations have been initiated by his Department since 27 June 2007.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the following HM Treasury website address, which directs the user to a list of all reviews and publications. This site further provides links to other consultations:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about/information/recent_pubs.cfm

Food

James Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much was spent by his Department on  (a) food and  (b) food of British origin in each of the last five years;
	(2)  from which five countries of origin the greatest amount of food was procured by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and what the  (a) cost and  (b) quantity procured was in each case.

Angela Eagle: Catering facilities in 1 Horse Guards road are contracted out to a caterer who is not prepared to release detailed spending information as it is considered commercially sensitive. Information on the origin of food procured for use in the Department could not be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold. However, data on the proportion of domestically produced food for the period 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 were provided to Parliament and are available from
	htip://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govt-food-usage.pdf.

Housing: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the automated valuation model is used for inheritance tax valuations of domestic dwellings by the Valuation Office Agency.

Jane Kennedy: Automated valuation models are not being used by the Valuation Office Agency in connection with inheritance tax valuations.

Housing: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1258W, on housing: valuation, if he will place in the Library a copy of the mapping information used by the Valuation Office Agency to distinguish the boundaries of each live locality within each billing authority area.

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency does not use mapping information to distinguish the boundaries of each live locality within each billing authority area. It uses the expertise of its chartered surveyors and other local staff.

Housing: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1258W, on housing: valuation, if he will place in the Library a copy of the data export of the most recent numerical co-efficient value assigned to each of the live localities to reflect their value significance in the automated valuation model.

Jane Kennedy: The information concerned is commercially confidential.

Housing: Valuation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to page 18 and page 35 of the Valuation Office Agency annual report and accounts 2007-08, HC 583, how many domestic dwellings received a visit from a Valuation Office Agency representative to check information in 2007-08.

Jane Kennedy: In 2007-08 approximately 135,000 domestic dwellings (out of 23 million) were visited to check information. The majority of these visits will have been undertaken without the need to go inside a person's home.

Import Duties: Occupied Territories

Tom Levitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much in duties has been collected from companies importing produce into the UK from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: Between 1 February 2005 and 31 January 2008, HM Revenue and Customs have issued demands for approximately 338,000 customs duty on products imported into the UK from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory under the provisions of the EC-Israel Association agreement.

Inflation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to reduce the effects of rising inflation on low income families.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to his question on 14 July 2008 by the Exchequer Secretary,  Official Report, column 140W, and to the answer my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar) on 17 July 2008,  Official Report, column 631W.

Minimum Wage

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employers have been found to have accrued minimum wage arrears on  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three,  (d) four and  (e) five or more separate occasions; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available.

Minimum Wage: Prosecutions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 143-44W, on minimum wage: prosecutions, how many employers have appealed against a minimum wage arrears enforcement notice in each year since the minimum wage was introduced; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 8 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1126W.

Minimum Wage: Prosecutions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 143-44W, on minimum wage: prosecutions, how many employers accrued minimum wage arrears of  (a) under 5,000,  (b) 5,000 to 25,000, ( c) 25,000 to 50,000,  (d) 50,000 to 75,000,  (e) 75,000 to 100,000 and  (f) over 100,000 in each year since the minimum wage was introduced; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 9 May 2008,  Official  Report, column 1279W, to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander).

Office of National Statistics: Telephone Services

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what income his Department received from the Office for National Statistics 0845 number in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury Department has not received any income from the ONS between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2008 in respect of 0845 numbers.

Oil: Prices

Linda Riordan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on global oil prices.

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has had various discussions with international counterparts in recent months regarding the economic effects of oil prices, including at G8 Finance Ministers Meeting in June 2008 and the July 2008 meeting of the European Economic and Financial Affairs Council.

Public Sector: Construction

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the performance of the economy in the last six months on public sector construction projects, with particular reference to the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Yvette Cooper: The Building Schools for the Future Programme (BSF) has a strong pipeline, with local authority plans showing that 35 more new or refurbished schools will open during 2008-09, 115 more in 2009-10 and 165 more in 2010-11. BSF projects are continuing and there continues to be a strong interest in bidding for BSF work within the construction industry.

Revenue and Customs: Closures

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the closure of the HM Revenue and Customs office in York.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published proposals on 11 June 2008 for the cluster of offices which includes Hilary house and Swinson house in York. These proposals envisage withdrawing from Swinson house and retaining Hilary house but no decisions have been taken. As with all HMRC's proposals, these will be subject to consultation with internal and external stakeholders, including MPs with a constituency interest, and detailed feasibility work will also be undertaken before final decisions are made. It is hoped to announce decisions on the future of all HMRC's offices by the end of the year.

Revenue and Customs: Closures

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a full equality impact assessment was carried out on the effects on  (a) staff and  (b) service users of the proposal to close the HM Revenue and Customs Office in St. Albans.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is restructuring its business and estate across the whole of the UK in order to achieve business efficiencies and customer service improvements, and release surplus accommodation. On 11 June 2008, proposals were published which envisage withdrawal from the HMRC office at Beauver House, St. Albans. These proposals are under consultation and no final decision has been made. An overview impact assessment for the cluster of offices which includes St. Albans was published on the same day. Feasibility work undertaken by HMRC before recommendations are made include assessment of the impact of closure on staff, customers and the wider community. This includes any equality impacts.
	If the final decision is to withdraw from St. Albans, an impact assessment will be published at that point, with an equality impact assessment as an appendix to that document.
	The impact of closure on HMRC's customers will be minimal as enquiry centre services will remain in the current location or nearby.

Revenue and Customs: Manpower

James Duddridge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the headcount of HM Revenue and Customs is; and what projections for the headcount have been made for the period till 2010.

Jane Kennedy: The headcount of HM Revenue and Customs at April 2008 was 90,296.
	Forecasted headcount for HMRC is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Headcount 
			 Required for April 2009 86,161 
			 Required for April 2010 82,778 
			  Note: Figures given are to the nearest person.

Revenue and Customs: Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in bonuses to staff working on tax credits at HM Revenue and Customs in 2007-08, broken down by tax credit office.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available for all staff working on tax credits. Staff in various parts of HM Revenue and Customs, not only the tax credit Office, may be deployed to tax credits work or deal with tax credits in addition to other work. It is not possible to isolate those in receipt of bonus payments.

Revenue and Customs: Recruitment

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of placing recruitment advertisements for HM Revenue and Customs staff in each month of the last two year period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The costs of placing recruitment advertisements for HM Revenue and Customs for staff in each month of the last two year period for which figures are available are as follows:
	
		
			  Month and year  Expenditure ()Administrative assistant to grade 6  Expenditure ()Senior civil service 
			 July 2006 42,566.71  
			 August 2006 22,635.72  
			 September 2006 30,115.23  
			 October 2007 19,978.34  
			 November 2006 70,591.36  
			 December 2006 20,145.00  
			 January 2007 24,466.54  
			 February 2007 13,172.18  
			 March 2007 11,230.65  
			 April 2007 87,825.58 19,700.00 
			 May 2007 36,681.20 91,478.95 
			 June 2007 62,716.69 Nil 
			 July 2007 90,347.71 Nil 
			 August 2007 20,140.22 Nil 
			 September 2007 65,993.24 6,574.76 
			 October 2007 57,531.04 Nil 
			 November 2007 66,432.72 5,440.72 
			 December 2007 32,645.12 Nil 
			 January 2008 108,609.66 4,995.00 
			 February 2008 36,859.09 5,043.86 
			 March 2008 28,378.83 Nil 
			 April 2008 104,146.29 Nil 
			 May 2008 160,975.65 7,265.68 
			 June 2008 123,158.87 13,238.28 
			  Notes: 1. The costs shown are based on the figures which are available and are divided between external recruitment at civil service grades administrative assistant (AA) to grade 6 and senior civil servant (SCS). HMRC advertises in the press, radio and on the internet, using external agencies. 2. For SCS in HMRC the costs of placing recruitment advertisements are only available from April 2007. 3. Costs have also been allocated to the month in which the invoice was passed for payment, which does not necessarily relate to either to the date of the advertisement or the date of the invoice.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what target HM Revenue and Customs has set for the time taken to respond to public enquiries; and what its success rate in reaching the target was in the last period for which figures are available.

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many phone calls to HM Revenue and Customs call centres went unanswered in each of the last six months for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC's main channels for responding to public enquiries are through their telephone helplines and their network of enquiry centres.
	In 2007-08, 94.5 per cent. of telephone callers were answered on the day they rang against a target of 95 per cent. In enquiry centres, 97 per cent. of customers were given an appointment within three days, against a target of 95 per cent. HMRC also receives enquiries via post, but it is not possible to distinguish these cases from other forms of customer correspondence, such as forms.
	The following table provides the number of unanswered telephone calls for each of the last six months, including calls that received a busy message, the engaged tone or which were abandoned. The number of unanswered calls fluctuates according to the peaks in HMRC's business. The peak in demand in January reflects the self assessment filing date and demand has been high throughout the last three months as HMRC has approached the tax credits renewal deadline date.
	Customers who do not get through on their first attempt often use the rapid redial facility on their telephone to make numerous successive calls, which increases the number of unanswered calls disproportionately. However, as the statistics below show, the vast majority of callers did get through on the same day they called.
	
		
			  Month  Call attempts  Calls offered  Busy  Engaged  Abandoned 
			 January 2008 8,848,585 6,836,338 1746,712 107,149 919,133 
			 February 2008 6,075,932 5,141,541 865,168 37,323 447,479 
			 March 2008 6,675,938 4,984,449 1,605,989 69,972 618,777 
			 April 2008 9,630,957 6,390,894 2,755,023 359,540 979,871 
			 May 2008 11,564,829 6,211,032 5,024,026 162,421 1,139,916 
			 June 2008 10,430,878 6,272,554 3,892,517 55,927 1,037,559 
			   
			 Total 53,227,119 35,836,808 15,889,435 792,332 5,142,735 
			  Notes: 1. Call attemptsthe number of calls made to the service. 2. Calls offeredthe number of calls that are received by the telephone system and put into the queue to speak to an adviser. 3. Busywhere no adviser is available to handle the call, an appropriate advisory message is played. 4. Engagedcall attempts where the caller was played an engaged tone. 5. Abandonedwhere the caller selected an option from the call steering menu and was put in a queue to speak to an adviser but the call was terminated before the caller spoke to an adviser.

Revenue and Customs: Visits Abroad

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 7 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1263W, on HM Revenue and Customs: visits abroad, if he will break down the amount spent on overseas travel in 2007-08 by each HM Revenue and Customs office.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Smuggling: Fuels

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what percentage of the  (a) time and  (b) resources of HM Revenue and Customs in England and Wales was allocated to tackling fuel smuggling in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of HM Revenue and Customs staff in England and Wales work on oil-related anti-smuggling matters, broken down by region.

Angela Eagle: HMRC do not centrally record time and resources allocated to tackling illegal fuels smuggling in England and Wales.
	On 1 April 2008, 99 full time equivalents were allocated to tackle oils misuse in Great Britain.
	HMRC do not release the numbers of front line detection staff that they deploy at a local level as this would provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent HM Revenue and Customs' controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention and detection of crime.

Tax Credits

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of child poverty of an increase in expenditure take-up rates for working tax credits to  (a) 100 per cent. and  (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of child poverty of an increase in expenditure take-up rates for child tax credits to 100 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of child poverty of an increase in the caseload take-up rates for working tax credits to  (a) 100 per cent.,  (b) 90 per cent.,  (c) 80 per cent. and  (d) 70 per cent.; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of child poverty of an increase in the caseload take-up rates for child tax credit to  (a) 100 per cent. and  (b) 90 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: For families with children, take-up of tax credits was 82 per cent. by caseload and 91 per cent. by expenditure in 2005-06, rising to 96 and 97 per cent. respectively for families on the lowest incomes, significantly higher than for previous comparable systems of support.
	It is estimated that complete tax credit take-up might reduce the child poverty rate by over one percentage point compared with 2005-06 take-up rates. Such estimates are subject to a number of uncertainties and simplifying assumptions, and should be taken as a broad guide only.
	Estimates have been provided for complete take-up of tax credits overall as working and child tax credits are paid together where families are eligible for both.

Taxation

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what average percentage of the income of the lowest earning 10 per cent. of people is taxed;
	(2)  what average percentage of the income of the highest earning 10 per cent. of people in the UK is taxed.

Jane Kennedy: Information on the distribution of income of taxpayers and the income tax they pay is published on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income tax/menu.htm
	The share of total income before tax and income tax paid by the top and bottom deciles of taxpayers ranged on total income can be found in table 2.4 Shares of total income (before and after tax) and income tax for percentile groups.
	The proportion of earnings paid in income tax by individuals at the top and bottom deciles of the distribution of earnings can be found in table 2.7 Percentage of earnings paid in income tax.

Taxation: Domicil

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the effect on UK gross domestic product if non-domiciles working in the UK were to be included in the UK income tax system;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue which would be raised by including non-domiciles in the UK income tax system.

Jane Kennedy: Non-domiciles working in the UK are included in the UK income tax system. Any income or gains earned in the UK by non-domiciles is taxed via the UK self-assessment or PAYE systems.

Valuation Office Agency: Expenditure

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  with reference to page 56 of the Valuation Office Agency annual report and accounts 2007-2008, HC 583, what the total value of payments made to Rightmove.co.uk plc was in 2007-08;
	(2)  with reference to page 56 of the Valuation Office Agency annual report and accounts 2007-08, HC 583, if he will provide a breakdown by  (a) supplier and  (b) value the goods and services provided under the heading of Data capture.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the Valuation Office Agency annual report and accounts 2007-08, HC 583.
	A copy of the contract, detailing the services provided, was placed in the Library on 26 July 2007.

Valuation Office Agency: Standards

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what projects in  (a) Leeds metropolitan district and  (b) Leeds West constituency sponsored by the Valuation Office Agency were subject to gateway services in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: None.

Valuation Office: Cole Layer Trumble

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the agreement between Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies and representatives of the Valuation Office Agencys' redacting commercially confidential information.

Jane Kennedy: No such agreement exists between the Valuation Office Agency and Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies which are third party providers of automated valuation modelling software and support.

Valuation Office: ICT

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1629W, on Valuation Office: ICT, whether each locality is given a  (a) name and  (b) unique reference number.

Jane Kennedy: The capability exists to give each locality or name but its use is optional. Each locality is given a unique reference number.

Valuation Office: Photography

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1279W, on Valuation Office: manuals, if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) the best practice guide for taking and adding photographs and  (b) the digital photography IT user manual referred to on page 28 of the council tax referencing manual.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 23 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2099W and 3 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1725.

Valuation Office: Video Recordings

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1630W, on Valuation Office: video recordings, if he will place in the Library a copy of the start of year message video.

Jane Kennedy: A copy of the video has been placed in the Library.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 151-2W, on welfare tax credits: overpayments, how many of the notices were for amounts  (a) below 250,  (b) between 250 and 500,  (c) between 500 and 750,  (d) between 750 and 1,000,  (e) between 1,000 and 1,500,  (f) between 1,500 and 2,000,  (g) between 2,000 and 2,500,  (h) between 2,500 and 3,000 and  (i) above 3,000 in each month.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is available only at a disproportionate cost.